


Compelled By Love

by Buffyworldbuilder, lateVMlover (Buffyworldbuilder)



Series: Love and Blood [1]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 128,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24095305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/lateVMlover
Summary: Buffy and Faith are on the trail of a notorious vampire called the Ripper. It leads them to Mystic Falls, the town where Willow has brought Dawn to finish out her senior year of high school. Willow hopes to discover why strong magics are felt from the area. The Scooby gang is surprised to discover a new breed of vampires. The Slayers will work to control Klaus and his hybrids. Lots of romance and action in this tale.
Series: Love and Blood [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738426
Comments: 47
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, I've had to bring the Buffy world in align time-wise with the VD world. It is set at the end of Season 2 of Vampire Diaries. In the Buffy world, it is about a year after season 7. Dawn is the same age as the VD characters. After spending a year abroad, she has convinced her sister that she wants to spend her final year of high school in a normal American high school. In this story, I do not really draw on Joss Whedon's (may his name always been spoken with reference and awe) season 8 comic-book series. I love and respect Whedon too much to comment on the comic-book story. I do not mean to take away from anything he has written with my tale.
> 
> Willow has broken up with Kennedy and wants a change of scenery, so she agrees to join Dawn back in the United States. Buffy and Faith are on the trail of a particularly heinous vampire called The Ripper, who has been leaving bodies up and down the east coast. Willow and her coven of witches in Great Britain detected massive magics being done in a town called Mystic Falls. (The Klaus/Elena Sun and Moon ceremony/ritual) With Buffy's permission, she decides to grant Dawn her desire and satisfy her own curiosity at the same time.
> 
> Willow and Dawn move to Mystic Falls about a month before the senior year starts. Damon and Alaric are working hard to locate Stefan who has been bound to Klaus, the Original and most powerful vampire in existence. Klaus and Stefan are locating wolf packs and trying to create hybrids for Klaus.
> 
> So that's enough of background. I won't be writing such long author's notes in every chapter. I promise! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 1: Dawn of a New Day

Willow was very excited about her summer plans. Although traveling across Europe had been exciting, she had missed the familiarity of home. Her parents had relocated to New York, hoping to get as far away from the horror that had been Sunnydale. She and Dawn spent a week in New York visiting her parents (who still insisted in seeing her as the awkward little girl she'd been in high school). After two days of their incessant condescension, Willow and Dawn went to New York City to explore the city and catch a few shows.

Now they were in Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town as different from New York City as it could possibly be. It was smaller than Sunnydale and enclosed in trees and other greenery. The mountains weren't too far away. It was a peaceful, sleepy little town. Willow relished in the change of scenery.

Willow had found a small, quaint bed and breakfast to house them temporarily. She and Dawn were walking down the main street, exploring the town.

"This town is just perfect!" Dawn gushed, looking around.

"It is small like Sunnydale," Willow observed.

"But no hellmouth, right? You're sure?" Dawn asked, anxiously.

"Yes. The east coast is full of magical strongholds though. The Salem Witch trials in Boston killed a lot of witches and falsely accused witches. Their violent death marked the places forever," Willow shared. "According to Giles' research, some of the original settlers of this town migrated down from Salem."

"So magic but no hellmouth? I can deal with that," Dawn said in satisfaction. "And you are going to make sure that the high school has no mystical enchantments of any kind or doorways to other realms or hell planes or anything else I need to worry about, right?"

Willow laughed at her dramatics. "Yes, Dawnie. I was even thinking of applying there for a job. They're looking for a new computer teacher, and since I did finish my degree finally, I wouldn't have to magically produce the required paper work," Willow told her.

"Really? You want to be a teacher? Won't that be kind of a let down?" Dawn asked with a wrinkle of her nose.

"I loved teaching and helping people in high school. I actually got to teach some classes my junior year when Angelus killed our computer teacher. All the First drama and Tara's death sort of knocked me off course," Willow shared. Memories of Tara were bittersweet. Tara helped her blossom into the woman she'd secretly wanted to be. Tara's love had transformed and empowered her. Her unnecessary death had revealed a side of Willow's nature she hadn't realized was there. Learning to come to terms with her dark nature hadn't been easy. Buffy believing in her enough to channel the magics required to turn all the potentials into Slayers had finally allowed her to heal. Now she kept Tara with her always. She wanted Tara to be proud of her. Getting a job doing something that didn't require magic seemed to be a move Tara would've wanted for her. It would bring balance to her world.

"It'd be great having you so close. Buffy working at my high school in Sunnydale was mostly humiliating 'cause she was my sister. But you and I have different last names!" Dawn said with a grin.

"And we don't look anything alike," Willow said, grinning.

"But I love you like a sister," Dawn assured her.

Willow flung an arm around her shoulders. "Same here! You and I have more in common sometimes than Buffy and I," Willow said. She stopped and examined the restaurant. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Dawn said. They had arrived in town after lunch. It wasn't yet dinner time, so the place was probably empty.

They went inside the Mystic Grille and found a booth. A really good-looking teen boy came up to their table. He gave them a shy smile. "Hi! I'm Matt. Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, handing them menus.

The girls smiled at him and gave him their request. "Well, the town seems full of hotties," Willow remarked with a grin. She saw two extremely delicious guys sitting at the bar having drinks.

"Do you even know what a hot guy is anymore?" Dawn teased with a grin.

"Hey, I was a proud heterosexual for the first nineteen years of my life. I've only been a member of the other team for like four!" she replied. "I know hot guys when I see them. And those two guys at the bar have to be two of the hottest guys I've ever seen!"

Dawn looked and saw she was right. One guy wore a black leather jacket. He had black hair with the most piercing blue eyes she'd ever seen. He was talking animatedly to a sandy haired man who listened with a half-smile to his friend.

"Did you fail to see our hot waiter? He had the sweetest smile," Dawn said with a sigh.

"Yep. He does," Willow agreed, watching him as he came toward their table carrying their drinks.

"So are you two just passing through?" Matt asked as he sat the drinks down. "I've never seen you before."

"Ah, the handicap of a small town. Everyone knows everyone else," Willow said.

"Well, we aren't just small. We're a town that celebrates every little small tradition you can imagine, so we're all involved in each other's lives more than most towns," Matt said. "Did you figure out what you wanted to eat?"

They gave him their orders. Before he could walk away, Willow said, "Do you have time to come back and talk to us and tell us about your town?"

"Probably. It's slow this time of day," Matt replied.

"I'm Dawn. This is Willow," Dawn said, giving him a shy smile.

"Are you related?" Matt asked. "You don't really look like sisters."

"Actually, we're not. She's my best friend's little sister. Buffy is working close by this summer. We've been overseas, but Dawn wanted to finish her senior year in an American high school," Willow explained.

"Brits with their sexy accents get old really fast. As do Italian Lotharios," Dawn said with an eye roll. "The pretenses they put on really irritated me. And Italian pizza just ain't as good as American. I don't care what anyone says!"

Matt laughed. "Sure, let me put your order in, and I'll come back and fill you in about the exciting town of Mystic Falls. It'll take an entire five minutes," Matt said dryly.

Matt walked behind the bar and gave their order to the cook. "So useless one," Damon said to Matt with an arrogant smirk. "Are you going to go find out about the new girls? Or shall I?"

"Relax, Damon. They're two girls. One's still in high school," Matt replied, rolling his eyes.

"Remember our motto," Damon said. "All new comers are suspect until proven otherwise."

"Behave," Alaric warned Damon.

Both Damon and Alaric glanced over at the two ladies sitting in a nearby table. One girl had striking green eyes framed by straight red hair. The other had really long brown hair that reminded Damon of Elena's. However, this girl looked very young. "Do you think she's a real redhead?" Damon asked Alaric with a wicked glint in his eyes.

Alaric groaned. "You just had to go there, didn't you?" he observed with a long-suffering sigh.

"Sick, man!" Matt complained.

"You know how disappointing it is to find out the red comes from a bottle?" Damon asked in mock outrage.

Matt shook his head in disapproval. He shouldn't be surprised by anything that came out of Damon's mouth anymore. Since he'd become part of the surrealism that was Elena's life, Damon actually spoke to him. However, sometimes Matt wished he wouldn't. He wasn't sure how to take the elder Salvatore brother. He knew that he should hate the man who had so horribly abused Caroline last year. However, since the dude had almost died saving Tyler and Caroline just a month or so ago, Matt found it hard to hate him. And Elena trusted him and cared about him. More, Matt suspected, than she admitted to herself. But Matt had known Elena his entire life. She had good instincts when it came to people, and Matt had the engrained habit of following her lead since they could walk.

He left Damon and Alaric to their speculation and went back to the newcomers. He pulled up and chair and sat down at the end of their booth. "So are you two staying in town long?" he asked them.

"Yes. Our home town got swallowed up in an earthquake about a year ago, and Willow's parents moved to New York," Dawn said.

"Earthquake? You're from California?" Matt guessed.

"Yep. Good ole' Sunnydale, California. A violent, small town that no longer exists," Willow supplied. "It literally got wiped off the face of the earth."

"It's like a grand canyon now," Dawn shared.

"Violent?" Matt asked, curious.

"Oh, we had a crazy gang problem. Rejects from L.A.," Willow quickly explained, causing Dawn to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Matt asked Dawn.

"If you don't laugh about Sunnydale, you'll cry," Dawn said with a shrug.

"Did a lot of people die?" Matt asked. "In the earthquake?"

"No, most people had vacated before it hit. There were warning signs that something was coming," Willow said. "Unfortunately, we did lose some friends."

Dawn looked sad a moment. "Anya died that day," she said. She didn't bother explaining it wasn't a quake that had killed her though. Somehow Dawn had thought the former vengeance demon would live forever and that one day her and Xander would get back together. Xander had been mostly single since their break-up. Her violent death had seemed to push Xander even further inside the one-eyed façade he'd begun to hide behind.

"I'm sorry," Matt said. "It's not easy losing someone you care about. My sister died last year."

Dawn and Willow gave him a look of mutual sympathy and understanding. "My mom died three years ago. I'm really sorry. It never completely gets better," Dawn said.

"No, it doesn't," Matt agreed. "I'll have to introduce you to some of my friends. It seems like all of us have lost a parent. My best friend Tyler's dad died last year. My ex-girlfriend Elena's parents died in a car wreck two years ago. Then her aunt and uncle passed away recently."

"That's a lot of death for a small town," Willow observed, immediately suspicious.

Matt realized he'd revealed too much. Damon, who had naturally been ease-dropping, chose that moment to interrupt. "So Matt, who are the lovely ladies you're keeping all to yourself?" Damon asked, flashing both girls a charming smile.

Dawn's mouth fell open slightly at the nearness of such an incredibly sexy man actually speaking to her.

Willow smiled warmly at him. "We are new members of your small town. I'm Willow Rosenberg. This is Dawn Summers," Willow introduced.

Damon held out his hand to her. "Damon Salvatore at your service," he said gallantly. Matt got up from the chair to go get their food. Damon waited for Willow to accept his hand shake.

Willow grinned and took his hand. Her eyes widened as his cold hand enveloped hers and images flashed through her mind. She saw him dressed in a uniform of sort laughing with another man in front of Colonial style mansion. Then she saw his eyes disfigured and flashing with hatred and anger. She saw a strikingly beautiful girl dressed in one of those dresses Buffy had dressed up in for Halloween years ago. Then the same girl was laughing at Damon and the first guy dressed like a modern girl.

Damon gave her a puzzled looked when she didn't release his hand like protocol demanded. He joked, "You're not the first girl who couldn't resist me!"

Willow quickly let go and frowned. "Oh, sorry. My mind wandered," she said. What the hell was that? Her gifts had been growing ever since she learned how to balance the magic within her. However, she didn't normally experience such graphic images from people's lives.

"That's what they all say," Damon said grinning. He sat down in the chair Matt vacated.

"No, she's not joking. She's gay and often has her head in the clouds," Dawn explained with a fond smile.

"Gay? I _love_ lesbians!" Damon enthused, giving her a lecherous look.

Willow groaned. "Careful or you'll make me homesick!" she told him, thinking of Xander.

"You sound like our friend Xander. We had to leave him in Europe," Dawn said grinning.

"The poor guy," Damon said. "Europe is very over-rated in my opinion."

"I totally agree!" Dawn said happily.

"So you're going to be a senior? There's a great bunch of people at the ole' high school. My best friend Rick teaches history there," Damon said, gesturing to Rick who was half turned watching them.

Since he knew Damon was now talking about him, Alaric got off the stool and came toward them. "I can see you're talking about me, Damon," Alaric said in disapproval. "Don't believe anything this man says. He lies. A lot."

Damon grinned. The girls laughed. "For some reason, I already knew that," Willow said knowingly.

The guys laughed at her in amusement.

"Alaric Saltzman. Call me Rick," Alaric said, introducing himself.

After her experience with Damon, Willow was almost afraid to take his hand. However, she took his warm hand in hers. She let go quickly and gave a sharp look at his ring. There was something not quite right with him. It was like another presence was there and somehow she felt the ring was the source. "Willow," she said absently.

Rick and Damon exchanged a look. They both noticed her sudden fascination with his ring. Rick smiled easily and held up his hand. "It was a gift from my late wife," he said pointing to it.

"It's fascinating," Willow murmured absently.

"Why don't you guys let them eat their food?" Matt suggested. He had put their food down and no one noticed.

"It was nice meeting you," Dawn said, smiling. She gave Willow a curious look because she had an odd expression on her face.

The guys walked off. "What's up with you?" Dawn whispered.

Willow frowned. "I don't know. Something's not right. When I shook Damon's hand, I got these weird images of him. That's never happened to me before. Then with Rick it was weirder. I didn't get images, but there's something off about him. Another presence. That ring. It's not normal," Willow shared in confusion.

"Well, you're the biggest, baddest witch on the planet. And the smartest, so I'm sure you can figure it out. Draw a picture of the ring and send it to Giles. He loves puzzles," Dawn suggested.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Willow agreed. She got out a pen and paper from her purse and began to try and draw the ring's emblem.

At the bar, Damon looked grim. He turned to Rick. "Witch!" he said in alarm.

"What?" Rick asked in confusion.

Damon leaned closer. "The redheaded Willow tree is a witch!" he announced grimly.

Rick looked sharply back at the table the two women were sitting at. Willow had her head down and was writing something. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Because the other girl, Dawn, called her the biggest, baddest witch on the planet," Damon informed him.

"Teens use euphemisms a lot, Damon. Witch doesn't always mean what it means to us," Rick said.

"It does when Willow admits to getting flashes and images from shaking my hand and claims your ring has dark purposes. She said there was something off about it," Damon said smugly.

Rick was surprised by Damon's words. Then he sighed. "Why can't anyone ever be who they seem?" he grumbled.

"Because that would just be too damn easy," Damon replied. He grabbed Matt's arm as he walked by. "Get to know the new girl. Introduce her to your friends. Her friend Willow is more than she seems."

"Vampire?" Matt asked in alarm.

"No. Witch," Damon said.

"Oh," Matt said with a shrug. Since one of his closest friends literally brought Elena's little brother back from the dead, he didn't find witches to be overly scary. They were good people to know when things were going wrong. "You know it's a valid life choice."

Rick snickered as Damon's mouth fell open in surprise at Matt's words. "He's got you there," Rick said.

"Well, I don't find the presence of witches reassuring. Remember what happened the last time new witches showed up? Elijah's little Pappa Witch? That was not fun!" Damon reminded them.

"Of course, I remember. He almost killed me. That's when I found out about Caroline. She had to give me blood to save me," Matt said.

"So the pretty, new witch could be a potential problem. Get to know them!" Damon ordered. "And try not to blab every secret you know to them while you're at it!"

"Fine," Matt said, knowing it was useless to argue with the relentless Salvatore. He walked over to the two girls.

"How's the food?" he asked them.

"Fine, thanks," Willow said. She put the drawing she had drew inside her purse.

"So where did you guys move to?" Matt asked.

"Well, we haven't found a house yet. We got a room at the bed and breakfast. We have to wait and see if Buffy is going to join us. When she's around, her many friends seem to materialize. I'm a bit sick of tripping over them!" Dawn said. Constantly being surrounded by slayers was never fun. Dawn hated to always be reminded of how she lacked in comparison.

"So are you looking to rent or buy?" Matt asked.

"Rent," Willow said firmly. "Definitely. Probably a 3 or 4 bedroom house."

"I have a house on my block that is for rent. It's nothing fancy, but it's a bit bigger than mine," Matt said. "I'm getting off at five today if you want me to take you to it."

Dawn smiled excitedly. A very cute boy was offering to spend time with her. She loved this town! "That'd be great!" Dawn enthused. "Willow's going to be a teacher at our school."

"Really?" Matt asked.

"I don't know that," Willow said quickly. "I just saw that the school is looking for a new computer teacher. I have a computer science degree."

"She's a badass hacker. She can do anything with a computer!" Dawn bragged.

"Dawnie! Not a good thing to brag about to potential students!" Willow admonished in embarrassment.

"Sorry," Dawn said contritely.

"Don't worry about it. Our history teacher spends most evenings hanging out here at the bar with Damon. Damon's mostly an ass," Matt said. "We don't judge!"

The man in question was asking Damon, "What are they talking about?"

"You. Matt just told the girls that you hang out here drinking with me daily!" Damon said with a smirk.

"I'm going to kill him!" Rick exclaimed in annoyed embarrassment.

"We really need to get you a social life, buddy," Damon said, slapping in on the back.

"What do I need a social life for when I have you? My homicidal maniac, vampire friend," Rick said sardonically.

Damon picked up his drink and clinked it to Rick's. "That's _former_ homicidal maniac!" Damon corrected grinning.

"That remains to be seen," Rick said dryly.

Damon chuckled. "So did you see the news this morning?" Damon asked. "Looks like Klaus and Stefan have moved their killing down to North Carolina."

"We don't know for sure it's Stefan. Klaus's the killer," Rick said.

" _I_ know it's Stefan," Damon said grimly. "I know." His brother had thrown away everything to save Damon. He had left him and bound himself to Klaus. His life for Damon's. And Damon didn't know some days if he hated him for his selflessness or loved him. He was tired, though, of being forced into the hero role. Now that Stefan was probably off the rails on a killing spree, Elena was looking to Damon to find him and fix him. He had to save his little brother. No matter the cost.

******* _Somewhere in North Carolina*******_

"B, here's the rest of it," Faith said in distaste, pointing to a headless body.

Buffy walked over to the corpse. There was blood everywhere. "I don't get it. Why would the Ripper keep leaving behind all these bodies? Most are girls. But last week we found those campers. Some of the bodies weren't headless. It's like there's more than one killer. Their hearts were ripped out," Buffy said, trying to puzzle it out.

"There's probably more than one vamp. Mostly, they like to do their killing with others. Angel did back when he was Angelus. Remember, he spent years with Spike and the two vamp tramps who sired them," Faith reminded her.

Buffy nodded. Thinking about her two favorite vampires made her feel lonely. She'd finally heard from Spike last month after a particular bloody battle went down in L.A. with him and Angel and the demon heads at that law firm Angel had been running. "I still can't believe Spike is working with Angel. Talk about weird!" Buffy commented. It made her sad that Spike hadn't come to see her when he was brought back to corporeal form. She lost both Angel and Spike. Although they would always be connected to her, it would never be the same.

" _I_ can't believe Spike isn't ashes anymore!" Faith said. "Working for Angel doesn't surprise me though. Angel is the only other vampire in the world who knows what it's like to have a soul. For all their differences, they have something strong binding them together."

"Kind of like us," Buffy observed. It hadn't been easy adjusting to having Faith back in her life, especially since things had started so rocky between them and the potentials. However, with all the new slayers, Buffy had begun to see what an asset Faith really was. She was the only other slayer alive who had the experience that even came close to Buffy's. When Buffy began depending on her more and more, Faith hadn't let her down. Not once.

"Yep," Faith said. "I'm glad you let me come with you on this one. I really wanted to come back to the States. And since Willow did all her hacker-voodoo magic, I don't have a record anymore. I don't have to keep looking over my shoulders."

"All those unflattering mug shots disappeared with a press of a button," Buffy said with satisfaction.

"Not so. Andrew told me that Xander still had his copy of the mug shot. I think I'm like his porn fantasy or something," Faith bragged with a snicker. "I did offer to pose for some nudes though. For some reason, he refused! I think I broke his cherry back when I popped it!"

"Ick! That is totally gross! Why do you tell me those kinds of things?" Buffy complained. She brushed off her hands and turned away from the corpse. "Blood and gore I can handle. The thought of you and Xander, not so much!"

"Relax, B. You know I rarely repeat after a slay lay," Faith said.

"Slay lay?" Buffy had to ask.

"You know. After slaying you get all hot and worked up. A good lay relaxes you. You ought to try it sometime!" Faith encouraged with a smug grin.

"I have vague memories," Buffy said. "I _have_ been with other guys since Angel, you know." She recalled getting particularly worked up with Riley several times after patrolling and a few times with Spike. Things had been very dry in the romance and sex department since then. She gave a frustrated sigh.

Faith laughed. "Well, after we bag this vamp, you should go join your sis and Will in Virginia. Take some time to get a life again," Faith said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. She loved the fact that she and Buffy were really and truly friends again. Faith got rid of the chip on her shoulder and Buffy her suspicions and low expectations of Faith. Now they were one bad ass tag team no one wanted to mess with.

"Why are we always one step behind this guy? I'm tired of looking at headless corpses. It's really gross!" Buffy complained.

"Look on the bright side. At least the bodies haven't started to decay! They're still fresh." Faith said, grinning. "I hate the maggots and stuff crawling out of their eyes and other places." She shuddered.

Buffy laughed. "Maggots don't bother me much since that time Spike hired those assassins to take me out before you were called up. One of the assassins was made of maggots. Now _that_ was gross! I can still hear Cordy's grossed out screams!" Buffy shared. Her smile didn't last long as she remembered that Cordelia, too, was dead. Angel said she had died fighting the good fight. Buffy had a hard time believing it, but looking at Faith now, she knew that people really could change. Her belief in that was what kept her going.

Her life had changed so much since she was in high school. Her mother was gone. Her home was gone. Friends were dead. But she'd gained so much, too. Now she had an army. An army of women as powerful and deadly as she was. The gates of hell literally trembled and collapsed at their approach last spring. Or rather the mouth of one particular hell.

"Do you think the girls will be okay without us?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Sure. They have Xander and Andrew to keep them in line," Faith said with a grin.

Buffy groaned. "Not reassuring, Faith!" she complained.

"Giles and Wood's there, too. You know the former principal loves to crack the whip and keep'em in line," Faith remarked. "And Giles loves that they actually listen to someone without superhuman strength!"

"Somehow I have a feeling you taught him a thing or two about whip cracking," Buffy said with a mischievous smile.

"You bet your sweet ass I did," Faith remarked arrogantly.

"Don't you miss him?" Buffy asked.

"B, you know I'm not cut out for a serious relationship. He's better off without me," Faith said. For a moment her usual arrogance wavered, a look of vulnerability came on her face.

Buffy frowned in concern. "You just haven't met the right guy yet. There's a guy out there for you. One that fits you. One that gets you. And one that will love you," Buffy told her.

Faith really didn't think so. And she wasn't really that upset over the fact. For the first time in her life, she truly loved her life. She didn't need a man.

***** _Chapter End_ *****


	2. Making New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy and Faith meet Klaus and Stefan at a dance club, not knowing who they are.

******* _A Week Later_ *******

Willow examined their little house with pleasure. The last of the furniture had arrived. It was the first real home they'd had in over a year. Staying at hotels or with friends of Giles was not the same thing. The house Matt had showed them had been perfect. It had two bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. Then there was a den that could be used as a guest room. The price was very reasonable. One of the perks of a small town was things were much cheaper than any place in California or Europe. Buffy and Dawn's father Hank had finally been tracked down a few months ago. Buffy had read him the riot act for his gross neglect since their mother's death. She got him to cough up a lot of money in back child support, and he agreed to deposit money monthly into an account for Dawn. Dawn and Buffy both had access to it. Dawn had spent two weeks with him at the beginning of the summer. Unfortunately, things had been strained between him. Willow knew that getting back to some type of normal routine was important to Dawn. She was happy that the house had come together so quickly. Willow hoped to make it a home for both her friends. Buffy needed a place to come home to, a place to call her own. From the first day they had met their sophomore year of high school, Buffy had gone out of her way to make Willow feel wanted, even needed. She had given Willow's life meaning and purpose. And when Willow had spiraled into an ugly place, Buffy had never once judged her or made her feel guilty. Her unwavering support and friendship had been what Willow had hungered for her entire life. Although she and Xander had been friends since they were in kindergarten, they hadn't become so close until Buffy had bound them irrevocably together. Now Willow would do anything to help her friends. Taking care of Buffy's only real family was the least Willow could do. Since Dawn had become her family, too, it was no hardship.

Dawn came downstairs. "So explain to me again _why_ Buffy gets the downstairs room? It's got a bigger closet," Dawn complained with a pout. "She may not even live here!"

"You know she never stays away from you for long," Willow said patiently. "She'll be here as soon as she gets this Ripper guy. And with her late hours patrolling the downstairs bedroom is just more convenient for her to have. Trust me."

"Fine," Dawn said in resignation. "So Matt told me they need another server at the Grille. It's only for about fifteen hours a week. Do you think I should apply? It's a good way for me to meet people."

"Don't you mean it's a good way for you to spend more time with Matt, the cutie patootie," Willow teased.

"That too!" Dawn said happily.

"Well, I think it's fine. But I need a favor from you. It's a big one, and I know you may not like it," Willow said.

"What it is?" Dawn asked curiously. Willow never asked for favors.

"Well, I've been exploring this town more and more. I can't quite figure out the source of the power here. There's not any portals or hellmouths, so don't worry. However, there is something. Some magic in the air in places. Or memory of magic. I'm not sure. Giles said the ring Rick had was a ring of power. Ancient," Willow said. "He found a few mentions of them in one of his books. Like that ring Buffy gave to Angel that rendered vampires invincible. The rings are very rare and very powerful in some way."

"You know I noticed the other day that Damon has a similar ring," Dawn remarked.

"Really? I hadn't seen him around lately," Willow said.

"I noticed it when I was sitting at the bar talking to Matt. Damon had got into a bitter argument with this really beautiful blonde girl. I asked Matt if she was his girlfriend and Matt said no, but he wouldn't be surprised if they occasionally had sex 'cause that was the kind of guy Damon was. Then he said Damon was in love with his brother's girl. Or ex-girlfriend," Dawn said with a confused frown. "I get the feeling that there's a lot he doesn't tell me."

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Willow said. "I need to know what's going on in this town. Something's not right. I did some research on Damon's friend Rick. His wife disappeared several years ago-presumed dead. She was a professor of the occult. I read some of her work in her school's online archives. She believed in pretty much everything we know to be true. Vampires, werewolves, and magical forces. Then she goes and disappears. It's odd. Maybe even suspicious."

"Yeah, it is. Maybe that's why Rick drinks. He misses his wife," Dawn said. Then she remembered. "Matt did tell me he had been dating Elena's aunt that died just a few months ago. The poor guy is a perpetual heartbreak."

Willow looked sympathetic for a moment. Then she frowned. "Well, none of us are indifferent to heartbreak. Your sister and I have a very tragic track record, too, when it comes to romance," Willow said. "Damon's headshake is still bothering me. Those images keep flashing in my mind. There's something not right about him."

"Well, if he didn't come out in the day time, I'd think he was a vamp. A guy that hot has to be otherworldly," Dawn said with a dreamy smile.

"So you'll help me?" Willow asked.

"Do what? You still haven't said what you need from me," Dawn pointed out.

"I have this little truth potion I've perfected that I was hoping you could slip to Matt and get him to tell you what he knows about Damon and Rick and what's going on in this town," Willow asked.

Dawn frowned. "I really like this guy, Will. That doesn't seem right," she said.

Willow looked disappointed, so Dawn suggested, "How about we invite him over for dinner and _you_ slip it in his food or something?"

"Okay, that'll work! Thanks! See if he's free tonight, okay?" Willow suggested.

"Fine," Dawn said in resignation.

****** _The Salvatores'_ ******

Damon faced Elena, Caroline, Rick, Bonnie, and Matt. Elena had been applying the pressure for the past ten minutes concerning Stefan. She didn't know that Damon and Rick had been tracking his whereabouts. Damon was trying to protect her from the truth of what Stefan had become.

"I want Bonnie to do another locating spell," Elena was saying.

"And what do you plan on doing, Elena, when we find Stefan? Ask him nicely to come home?" Damon inquired in a voice dripping with scorn.

"We got to do something, Damon! Maybe you're okay with him being gone, but I'm not!" she yelled.

Rick came to Damon's defense. "Stefan is his brother, Elena. Of course, he wants him back," Rick said.

"Does he? I'm not so sure," Caroline said doubtfully. She hated that Elena was depending more and more on the elder Salvatore.

"No, Elena's the only one who cares. I don't care about anyone, remember?" Damon said with a bitter edge.

"You said it," Caroline replied, giving him a pointed look.

"Stop!" Elena said. She glared at Caroline. "Damon loves his brother. They've been brothers a lot longer than any of us have been alive. They're all each other has."

"No, he's all _Damon_ has. Stefan has all of us," Caroline insisted, unapologetic.

Rick stood up. He knew that Damon was an ass, but he didn't love very many people except his brother, Elena, and Rick. Rick knew this. And he knew that Damon was tormented by his brother's sacrifice. He didn't deserve Caroline's scorn. "Caroline, you're not helping matters. Nor are you correct. Damon has all of us, too. Let's not forget _why_ Stefan is doing this. He had to save Damon because Damon almost died saving _you_ and Tyler!" Rick reminded her sternly.

Caroline flushed at the reminder but didn't say more.

"You haven't mentioned Klaus," Bonnie said. "He's not going to give up Stefan easily. We can't just approach them even if we did find them. So far I haven't had any success. I think Klaus has his own witch shielding them."

"Speaking of witches. Matt, what have you found out about our new resident Samantha?" Damon asked.

"Samantha?" Caroline asked in confusion.

Damon rolled his eyes. Sometimes he forgot how young they all were. "Samantha is the name of a character on an old TV show called _Bewitched_. She was a full adult size witch. Not like Sabrina here," Damon said gesturing to Bonnie. When Caroline still looked confused, Damon said impatiently, "Witch. She's a witch!"

All eyes but Matt and Rick's looked surprised at his announcement. "There's another witch in town? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Bonnie asked in disapproval.

"Because I put Captain America on it. The witch's name is Willow. Very cute redhead. She's taking care of her best friend's sister Dawn. Dawn is your age," Damon told them.

"Dawn? I met her," Caroline said in surprise.

"Yes, you did. She and Willow are renting the house I showed them across the street from mine," Matt shared.

Caroline nodded. "Why do you think Willow is a witch?" Caroline asked.

Damon explained about their first encounter with the women and what he'd overheard.

"If she's a witch, it's _my_ business," Bonnie told him. "I should be the one meeting her."

"Fine. Go meet her," Damon said with a careless shrug.

Matt pulled out his phone. "It's her. Dawn," he said. He answered the phone as he walked out of the room.

"So you think this Willow girl is connected with Klaus? Maybe he sent her here to spy on us," Elena said worriedly. "He can't know I'm alive!"

Damon went to her and put a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. "Relax. We don't know that she has any connection with Klaus," Damon said. "We have enough to worry about. So let's not freak out until we know."

Elena nodded. Matt reappeared. "Dawn wants me to join her and Willow for dinner tonight," he shared.

"Perfect. Tell them you're bringing a friend along," Bonnie told him. Matt nodded and sent Dawn a text.

"So you play nice with the new witch and find out if I need to kill her," Damon said to Matt.

"There will be no killing, Damon!" Elena admonished.

"We'll see," Damon said with a noncommittal shrug. He took a sip of his drink. Like always, he'd do what needed to be done. What none of them were willing to do because _someone_ had to do the dirty work. It might as well be him. After all, he was so good at it. Then they could continue to hate him and all would be right in their world.

Elena gave Rick a longsuffering look. "Damon," Rick said in warning.

"Whatever," Damon said, rolling his eyes. He walked out of the room. He wasn't going to waste time arguing.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him," Rick said. Rick got up and went after him. Damon was a man of extremes and impulses. If left alone, there's no telling what he'd do. Stefan was the best at keeping in in check. However, now that Stefan was gone, the job was Rick's. Surprisingly enough, Rick didn't mind. Somehow, the two of them had become real friends. Between all the drinking, the bickering, and the battles, a true bond had formed. Since his wife had "disappeared," Rick had been alone. It was ironic that the man responsible for his solitary state was the one to end it.

"Thank God for Rick!" Elena said. The one time adversaries had become real friends. In fact, besides Elena, Rick was probably Damon's only friend. The fact that Rick could also look past the indifferent mask Damon wore spoke volumes to Elena. She trusted Rick completely. If Rick saw what she saw in Damon, then she couldn't be wrong about Damon. Her faith in him wasn't misplaced. Without Stefan, Elena felt truly adrift. She had lost so much. She was counting on Damon to bring him back to her. To make her life make sense again.

******* _A Few Hours Later_ ********

Willow opened their front door expecting Matt. However, she blinked in surprise to see a very attractive dark skinned girl with him. "Oh, hi," Willow said, smiling.

"Didn't Dawn tell you I was bringing my friend Bonnie?" Matt asked, detecting her surprise.

Dawn came up behind Willow and looked sheepish. "Well, I meant to," she said. "But it's fine. We got plenty of food. We ordered Chinese and got lots of everything."

"Great. I love Chinese," Matt said with a smile. They stepped in and shut the door behind them.

"Dawn, this is my good friend Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie this is Dawn Summers and Willow Rosenberg," Matt introduced.

Dawn gave a small wave and smiled shyly at her. Willow held out her hand. Feeling a bit anxious to meet a fellow witch, Bonnie took a deep breath as she grabbed the offered hand. She gasped as a hot flash burned through her hand and down her arm at Willow's touch.

Willow, too, felt a connection through Bonnie's hand in hers. She smiled. "Hello, little sister," Willow said warmly.

Bonnie looked at her in open mouth amazement. She looked down at their still joined hands. The power in this woman was unlike anything Bonnie had ever felt. "Who are you?" Bonnie stammered.

"She's Willow. The most powerful witch you'll ever meet," Dawn bragged proudly.

Matt looked at Bonnie in concern. Was this good news or bad for them?

****** _*In England*******_

Giles hadn't been able to put down his books since Willow and Dawn left. The emergence of powerful magics in the United States had sent ripples through the witch world. Giles' coven friends had assured him that the world wasn't in danger over whatever had went down. But one of them had made some obscure comment when Giles mentioned the town of Mystic Falls. Curious, Giles had started researching the town. The more he read, the more concerned he was. There was no hellmouth there. However, there was a long history of unexplained deaths that he would attribute to vampire attacks. The stories went back over a hundred years. He doubted that any town would have so many animal attacks. There had to be a permanent vampire presence nearby. He must uncover the truth so he could warn Willow and Buffy.

****** _Atlanta, Georgia******_

Buffy wasn't quite sure how Faith had convinced her they deserved a night off. Nor did she know how spending time at a popular Atlanta night club was going to help them find their elusive vamp and his friend. In so many ways, Faith was ying to her yang. The sometimes no-fun Buffy seriously needed a heavy dose of the fun Faith brought. However, Buffy still had trouble cutting loose and enjoying herself when lives were at stake. The burden of her calling always weighed so heavily on her. But watching Faith dancing and laughing so exuberantly a few feet away reminded Buffy of how different the two women were. Faith's burden only seemed to empower her; it never weighed heavily on her. Or if it did, Faith never showed any evidence of it. Buffy emptied the beer Faith bought for her in a single long drink. She got out of her chair and joined Faith on the dance floor. She deserved a break.

Across the room, two very predatory gazes were watching the women closely. "Do you see that exquisite creature that just joined the other raven haired beauty on the dance floor?" Klaus asked Stefan.

Stefan glanced at the pixie blonde that was dancing with the very striking brunette that had caught Stefan's eye. "I noticed the raven haired beauty. She's amazing," Stefan observed, admiring her zest and energy. The contrast between the two dancing women was riveting.

It was the first time Klaus has noticed genuine interest in his old friend since he'd struck his bargain with Stefan. "We will have to make their acquaintance," Klaus said with a predatory smile.

"A loud dance club really isn't the place to make new acquaintances," Stefan told him.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Klaus said with confidence.

Both men watched the intriguing picture the two beauties made. Both women were oblivious to their new found admirers. Neither realized their prey was finally within their grasp.

******* _To Be Continued*******_


	3. Who Are You Really?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M for a short scene near the end.

_*****Where We Left off*******_

After spending a few minutes watching the ravishing beauties, Klaus turned to Stefan. "It's time, mate, for you to have some fun," he said.

When Stefan looked somber and indifferent like always, Klaus got annoyed. He leaned closer to Stefan and used compulsion. "You _will_ have a good time tonight. You will allow yourself to forget about your Elena and the guilt you carry for _one_ night," Klaus ordered.

Stefan smiled in anticipation and said to Klaus, "What are we waiting for?" He jumped off the bar stool and headed toward the two woman.

Klaus relished in his small victory and for once followed his friend's lead.

Buffy and Faith were dancing to the beat of the loud, pulsating music when they both suddenly had two very attractive dance partners. Faith looked in approval at her insanely sexy partner. The guy gave her a small smile. "Hi. I'm Stefan," he said.

Faith smiled a sultry smile and threw her arms around his shoulders. "I don't care," she said as she let him pull her body against his.

Buffy rolled her eyes at her bold friend. The guy in front of her didn't say anything. He just smiled and swayed to the music. Buffy found his flash of dimples disarming; however, she wasn't about to fall in some strange man's arms. Unlike, Faith, she knew better. When the music changed to a slow song, Buffy stopped moving and stared at the man unsure.

Klaus found the woman even more intriguing close up. Her long blonde locks framed a pixie face. The green eyes were penetrating. This was no dumb blonde. Her eyes held pain, sorrow, and strength. Their cool confidence drew him in. He had a thing for blondes. His mind momentarily went to the delicious Caroline Forbes. This woman gave him the same distrusting look that Caroline did the moment he had trapped her for his little ceremony. He had seen her upcoming sacrifice as a waste and had been a bit relieved that he hadn't needed her after all.

Buffy decided to relax her suspicious mind for once and let the stranger put his arms around her. He smiled in approval at her compliance. "So, love, are you just passing through?" the man asked.

Shockwaves went through Buffy as the man's words and accent reminded her strongly of Spike. She closed her eyes a moment against the last image she had of Spike's glowing form, the light of the amulet around his neck. When she had tearfully told him she loved him during their final goodbye, he hadn't believed her. What he didn't realize is that she _had_ loved him. But she hadn't loved him the way he loved her. He had sensed that she always held back a part of herself. Spike knew and understood her even better than Angel. Angelus had destroyed a piece of her that she never quite got back. Now she approached all men cautiously. Her inability to commit all of herself had really hurt Riley. Angel's curse kept her from ever capturing what they'd once had. His discovery of a prophecy that would one day end his curse only added to Buffy's confusion. The idea of them someday being together was forever in the back of her mind somewhere. However, she knew she needed to let the image go. Let _him_ go. Unlike him, Buffy didn't have forever. She had only now.

She smiled at the man in front of her. What was the harm in taking a cue from Faith? She glanced at Faith who was plastered so tightly against the guy she was with that Buffy wanted to laugh. The girl had no shame!

"Ah, yes, I'm just passing through," she replied. She took his hand and let him pull her close for the dance.

The man flashed his dimples at her in approval. " _Maybe this wouldn't be so bad,"_ Buffy thought, returning his smile.

***** _*Back in Mystic Falls_ *******

Bonnie stared at Willow in shock, a hint of fear in her eyes. Willow projected her thoughts into Bonnie's mind. _Relax, Bonnie. You have nothing to fear from me._

Bonnie quickly released Willow's hand and stepped back in shock. "How..how did you do that? You can read minds?" Bonnie asked in awe and fear.

Matt looked startled and glanced uneasily at Willow. Dawn laughed. "She wishes!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Willow said apologetically. "I didn't mean to frighten you!"

"Willow's as gentle as a kitten," Dawn said. Then she grinned wickedly. "Unless, of course, you piss her off! Then she may turn into Dark Willow and rip off your skin or destroy the world or.." Her teasing rant was cut off by a sharp elbow from Willow.

"Knock it off, Dawn!" Willow ordered in exasperation. "Forgive her. She sometimes has diarrhea of the mouth. I blame Xander, but her sister rambles, too, when she gets nervous. Well, we all do, I guess." She gave them a sheepish smile.

"So you _are_ a witch?" Matt asked.

Willow nodded. "So is your friend, I see," Willow replied. She looked sharply at Bonnie. "But I don't think we're the same. She has old world magic. You come from a line of witches, right?"

Bonnie nodded. She felt shy and unsure in front of this woman, who obviously had very strong power. "Come sit down, so we can talk. It's clear we have a lot to discuss," Willow said. They went into the living room. "I'll get us some drinks."

Willow went into the kitchen. She opened up a drawer and poured some of the potion in the glass she'd marked for Matt. Not only would the potion probably not work on Bonnie, Willow didn't want to risk the young woman detecting what she was doing. No use making an enemy out of a potential ally.

"So you know about magic?" Dawn was asking Matt. "What else do you know about?"

"A lot. More things than I ever wanted to know about. It's terrifying sometimes," he admitted.

"Are you a witch, too?" Bonnie asked, finally speaking.

Dawn laughed. "I wish! I help Willow with spells sometimes. We sort of hoped I'd develop some power someday, but so far I seem to be destined to be research girl like Giles and Xander. Buffy won't let me do much anyway. She's insanely protective," Dawn said with an eye roll.

"Buffy?" Bonnie asked.

"My older sister," Dawn supplied. "She'll probably show up before too long. She's busy with work right now."

"Is she a witch?" Bonnie asked. She'd only met two other witches besides her Grams and that had ended very badly. She still felt sick with guilt sometimes when she thought of Jonas and Luka. Then her mind recalled the brief encounter with Lucy, the witch friend of Katherine's. She hoped this Willow would turn out to be a friend, too. Standing up to the vampires in her life all by herself was exhausting sometimes. And lonely.

Willow came in carrying their drinks. She passed them out and answered for Dawn. "No, she's not," Willow said. She gave Dawn a warning look. They were here to get answers, not trust strangers with their business.

"The witches I met in Sunnydale were more like addicts. You've got to be careful with magic. I learned the hard way. My Tara showed me how easy it was to take it for granted and abuse it," Willow said.

"Tara was her girlfriend. She died in a random shooting," Dawn explained, a pained look on her face.

"There was nothing _random_ about what Warren did!" Willow said bitterly. The room began to shake at the force of her sudden rage as she thought of the man who had killed Tara when he was shooting Buffy.

Matt and Bonnie looked very alarmed. Matt swallowed the drink of tea he had been drinking and pulled the glass down to look at Willow's eyes. They were no longer human. He gasped.

"Will!" Dawn cried out in warning, grabbing her arm.

Willow took a calming breath, remembering what Giles had taught her. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Her eyes went back to normal. The room was still.

"No, I'm sorry," Dawn said contritely. "I shouldn't have mentioned that."

"Tara's murder drove me to a very dark place. My desire to revenge her death almost destroyed me and everyone I loved," she explained. "I still can't always be rational about it."

Matt exchanged a nervous look with Bonnie. This woman had power like they'd never encountered. The earth trembled at the force of her rage. Inside, Matt groaned. Damon would see her as a threat. All threats had to be eliminated. He took another drink of the tea, hoping it would sooth him. How did his life become so insane?

"I understand the need for vengeance. It's easy to use force when we know we can," Bonnie said.

"But I promise you, I mean you guys no harm," Willow assured them.

"So why are you really here in Mystic Falls?" Bonnie asked.

"Dawn wanted to finish her last year of school in America, and the witches coven in England that I work with sometimes told me about the massive magics that were done here in Mystic Falls in May. I just wanted to find out about it. I'm a curious cat," Willow said with a rueful grin.

"That was Klaus and Bonnie," Matt blurted out. A desire to share the secrets he'd been carrying with his new friends was overwhelming.

"Really?" Willow asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Klaus was trying to sacrifice Elena to break the Sun and Moon curse. Bonnie channeled the power of 100 dead witches to kill him. Klaus' brother, Elijah, betrayed us and instead of killing him like he'd promised, he let him escape," Matt shared.

Bonnie looked alarmed at the bit he was blurting out. "Matt," she said in warning.

Willow suddenly realized she needed to separate Bonnie from Matt. "Bonnie, why don't you and I go to my room and do some magic? I think you need to be reassured that I'm not your enemy," Willow said.

Matt thought that was a great idea and nodded encouragingly. "I'll be fine," Matt said.

"We're going to eat. I'm starved!" Dawn said. She reached down and grabbed Matt's hand.

He finished off his tea and stood up and let her lead him into the kitchen.

"It's really okay," Willow said. She stood up and Bonnie followed her upstairs. "If you come from a line of witches, you could probably just consult one of your ancestors for a reference." She smiled at the silliness of it.

"I usually have to go to a place of magic to consult the witches," Bonnie said doubtfully. "My grandmother taught me some a year before she died. But she died last year performing a spell that as too powerful for her frail body."

Willow reached over and gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. "I'm sorry. Fighting the forces of evil often demands a lot from us," Willow said.

Bonnie had never heard anyone refer to what they did that way. In her world, things were too gray. She hadn't considered what they were doing as fighting evil forces. However, she knew Klaus _was_ evil.

"We don't need a magic place if we channel our powers. I don't mean to brag, but I sort of have a lot of natural power," Willow said with a sheepish look.

"But it's not in your family?" Bonnie asked, curious.

"No. I'm Jewish. No witches in my family tree. I always loved science, and magic seemed like science to me at first. Spells were like formulas. I was such a nerd in high school and wanted to help Buffy. Magic was a way I could contribute," Willow explained as she began to arrange the candles.

"Why did Buffy need your help?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Well, she had this boyfriend that turned really, really evil and tried to kill all of us as a way to torment Buffy. He lost his soul. I gave it back to him," she explained, concealing the full truth.

"You can do that?" Bonnie asked in surprise. This woman wasn't like her Grams. Bonnie had a feeling that she wasn't like anyone she'd ever met.

Ten minutes later, she got her confirmation. She'd somehow traveled to the other place. Willow wasn't with her. Her Grams stood before her.

"Grams!" she said happily. She threw her arms around her.

"Bonnie, how did you get here?" Grams asked in concern. "You shouldn't be here."

"I met this girl named Willow. She's a witch. She sent me here, so you could tell me if she can be trusted," Bonnie shared.

Gram got a look on her face that meant she was peering inward, listening to things Bonnie couldn't hear. "The Slayer is here in Mystic Falls?" Gram asked sharply. Someone powerful enough to protect her Bonnie.

"Ah, no. I don't think Willow's a slayer. Whatever that is. She says she's a witch. Can I trust her?" Bonnie asked.

Grams smiled, her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She held Bonnie's hands in hers. "Willow is not like us, honey. She has primal power. It's not purely from nature like we use. Although she can do the magic we do, she has power we could never have. It's a part of her in a different way," Grams said. No use explaining that Willow's magic sometimes came from a very dark place. Grams knew that her heart was good. The girl had fought the evil inside of her and won. It took incredible strength to walk away from the temptation of dark power.

"Is she evil? Is she here to hurt my friends?" Bonnie asked anxiously.

Grams ignored the second question. "No, she is not evil. She is the most powerful friend you could ever make, and I advise you to trust her, to listen to her. Let her guide you. Quit listening to those vampires you spend time with. Willow has access to more power and more powerful friends than you could imagine. If you have ever trusted me at all, sweetheart, you'll listen to me now. If you have to pick a side, pick Willow's. Always," Grams advised, a note of urgency in her voice.

"Really?" Bonnie asked in surprise, her mind racing with so many questions.

"You must go, child," her Grams ordered. "You've been here too long. You've angered some witches up here. They won't so easily help you in the future. If you have Willow, you won't ever need to call on them. Or call on me."

"I miss you!" Bonnie cried. She clung to her grandmother, her familiar arms soothing her like always.

"I miss you, too. I'm so proud of you!" Grams said. Her grandmother smiled lovingly at her. She put a hand on Bonnie's cheek. "I wish I could be there to teach you more. But Willow can. She knows other witches. More importantly, she'll bring others to the town that will protect you."

Bonnie wanted to ask more but her Grams was pulled away. She blinked. Suddenly, she was back in Willow's room. Not that she'd actually left.

Willow smiled reassuringly at her. "Are you okay?" Willow asked.

Bonnie did the unexpected. She burst into tears. Willow wrapped a consoling arm around. "It's okay. You're safe," Willow said.

For the first time since her Grams died, Bonnie actually felt safe. She wasn't alone anymore. The relief that knowledge brought her unexpectedly unleashed a floodgate of emotion. As she cried in Willows arms, she realized that she didn't have to be the strong one anymore.

****** _Back in Atlanta******_

Buffy and Faith danced three dances with the two men who had decided to partner them. Then Buffy had decided Faith's dirty dancing was too much and excused herself from the dance floor.

Faith watched her go with a sigh. "Is something wrong?" Stefan asked.

"No, it's just Buffy doesn't easily relax or cut loose. I had to twist her arm to come here," Faith said. "Looks like she's done."

Stefan watched her dismiss Klaus without a backward glance. He mentally winced. Klaus would see her dismissal as a challenge. "She doesn't seem to be interested in my friend," Stefan remarked.

"She has a particular type," Faith said with a grin.

"And you don't?" Stefan asked with smile.

"If you have the good sense to want me, then you're my type!" Faith declared with a cheeky grin.

Stefan laughed, delighted with her brassiness. "It's been awhile since anyone thought I had good sense," he said.

"I must've found you on a good day. Lucky me!" she said with a wink. Then she grabbed his hand. "Let's get a drink."

Stefan had to repress the hunger her words invoked in him. He knew she wasn't offering herself as his drink, but the image was tantalizing. She was so tempting. Her defiant eyes reminded him of Katherine. But her lusciously full lips were all hers. He found himself wanting very much to taste them. Thoughts of Elena were pushed so far back it was like they were a dream. It'd been so long since they'd been together anyway. The memories were fading. Knowing she was alive and watched over by his brother brought him comfort. Elena didn't really need him anymore.

At the bar, Buffy was at a loss, unable to figure out a way to get rid of her unwanted suitor. He seemed nice enough. He had a boyish charm that was attractive. However, her spidey senses were tingling a bit when he put his hand on her back as he sat down in the chair next to her at the bar. She gave him a wary look. "I'm not an easy lay," she said frankly, using Faith's words. "You're wasting your time."

Klaus's eyes widened at her forthrightness. Then he laughed in genuine pleasure. It'd been so long since a person had really surprised him. American girls were so bold sometimes. "I never said you were, and it's my time to waste," he replied after his laughter stopped.

Faith and Stefan joined them. "Are you okay, B?" Faith asked.

"I'm fine. You?" she asked, smiling.

"Five by five," she replied in satisfaction. She gave Stefan a hot kiss to demonstrate.

Klaus chuckled. "Now that's a girl who knows what she wants," he remarked.

"Yes, _she_ is an easy lay. Sorry, you picked the wrong girl," Buffy said with a smirk.

Klaus turned back toward her. "I doubt that. Something tells me that you are just full of surprises," he observed. He held out his hand. "I'm Nick."

Buffy looked at his hand in surprise but shook it. "I'm Anne," she said, not giving him her first name. She tried to use her middle name whenever possible. Her name was becoming too well known in certain circles.

"What's the B for?" Klaus wondered, referring to Faith's address to her.

"It's a nickname. She had never called me by my name since the day we met," Buffy remarked dryly.

"So, if you're good, Stefan and I are going to go somewhere for a bit," Faith said, giving Stefan such a blatantly hungry look that her lustful thoughts were clear to all of them.

"Faith, are you sure?" Buffy asked cautiously.

Stefan smiled. "Your name is Faith? That's sweet," he said.

"You didn't even tell him your name?" Buffy asked in outrage.

"Believe me, sugar, there is _nothing_ sweet about me," Faith said, giving him a wicked look. She gave Buffy one last unapologetic, challenging glance, and then she took Stefan's hand and dragged him off to the side.

"Looks like you were correct about your friend," Klaus said watching them. This could be very good for Stefan. He was never going to be happy with Klaus until he let go of the memory of his precious Elena. She was dead. He wasn't. He would never forgive Klaus for her death until he was able to move pass her loss.

"Faith is impulsive. She doesn't always think," Buffy replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"But I bet _you_ do. Something tells me that busy little brain of yours never stops working," Klaus said, grinning.

Buffy didn't really know how to get rid of a man so utterly confident. In spite of herself, she found him charming. She relaxed her guard and began chatting with him.

Faith and Stefan barged into the manager's office. Stefan used compulsion. "Leave and forget we were here," he ordered the man who had jumped up at their entrance.

The man meekly nodded and left. Faith arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Neat trick," she said.

"Oh, I'm just full of them," he said smugly. Then he kissed her hungrily.

Faith felt all her systems stand up and shout hallelujah at his kiss. She pushed him tightly against her chest. After a minute, she broke off the kiss and unsnapped her leather pants. Stefan helped her tug them down. Then she jumped up on the desk. His hands went under her shirt, squeezing her full breasts. She moaned in pleasure at his touch. "What are you waiting for?" she demanded, reaching down to unbutton his jeans.

Stefan was surprised and incredibly turned on by her aggressiveness. The girl knew exactly what she wanted, and she wanted him. It didn't take Stefan long to plunge inside of her. They both gasped. Faith locked eyes with him as her legs locked behind his ass. There was something about him. His eyes held such delicious darkness, such intensity. They drew her in.

Without breaking his pace, Stefan unbuttoned her top and pushed it down her shoulders. Her black bra clasped in the front. He unsnapped it and put one of her rosy peaks in his warm mouth. She groaned in ecstasy as he began to suckle her. He didn't stop there; he moved a hand down and rubbed her clit between his clever fingers.

"Oh my God!" Faith shouted. Her hand fell from his shoulders and knocked over the picture frame on the desk. She leaned back on her hands while the beautiful man continued to rock her world.

After bringing her to orgasm twice, Stefan was finally ready to empty himself inside her. "Are you ready?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes!" she said as he increased his pace, pounding ruthlessly into her.

Stefan pulled her back up and fused his mouth on hers, kissing her like a starving man. He had forgotten the pleasure a simple kiss could bring. This woman was able to take all he had to give. She wasn't fragile like Elena. She loved everything he was doing to her. He felt his balls begin to tighten, and he exploded inside of her. She screamed in ecstasy. Her screams increased his hunger. Stefan decided he wasn't going to deny himself anything anymore. He'd try not to kill her, but he had to taste her. He plunged his fangs into her neck.

Faith's eyes opened in shock as his fangs pierced her neck.

***** _To Be Continued*****_


	4. Revelations

****** _Same Time in Atlanta_ ******

Faith shoved Stefan hard. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded. When she saw his eyes, she was confused, the black veins were not anything she'd ever encountered before. Then his fangs made it really clear what he was.

"A ***ing vampire? You've _got_ to be kidding!" Faith exclaimed incredulously. He didn't look like any vamp she'd ever seen.

Stefan was surprised at her knowledge but tried to compel her to calm. "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you," he said in a reasonable tone.

Faith hit him hard, knocking him from her. He had still been inside her. She was horrified at her stupidity. How did she not know? Rage filled her. She jumped up and pulled up her pants and quickly snapped her bra. She only buttoned enough buttons to hold her shirt together. Ready to do battle, she faced her new foe.

Stefan couldn't believe that his compulsion had failed. She must have vervain on her. However, he looked closely at her as he deftly pulled up his jeans. He didn't see any charms or bracelets except for a solid cross necklace. He frowned at the contradiction the girl presented. She was so magnificent. Her sudden rage only added to her allure. He groaned against the excitement he couldn't seem to repress.

"You picked the wrong girl! I hope the sex was worth it because it'll be the last you ever have," Faith vowed. She charged him and knocked him hard in the jaw. His head swung back.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes. She was strong. She hit him again. Too strong to be human. "Wait!" he grabbed her hands in his.

"I'm going to kick your vampire ass so hard, that you'll wish you were never born or sired or whatever!" Faith said in annoyance. She pulled her hands loose. Then she tried to hit him again, but he moved away so fast. Faith had never seen a vampire move that quickly. Her eyes widened in amazement.

"I don't want to hurt you!" Stefan said, holding up a hand.

"Yeah, right. That's why you were trying to suck on my neck! I don't mind a little kink in my sex play, but I draw the line at feeding vamps!" Faith said in disgust. "I'm _not_ a damn blood bank!"

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself. You were irresistible," Stefan said apologetically. He gave her that shy, sexy smile of his.

His audacity made her want to scream. Faith was so embarrassed for falling for a vamp and enraged at being duped that she resorted to a very girly move. She kicked him between the legs. Hard. When he crumpled to the ground, she took off in search of Buffy.

"Let's go, B!" she shouted when she got a few feet away from Buffy, heading toward the door.

Buffy looked alarmed and got off the bar chair. When she moved to dismiss Klaus again without a second thought, he took exception and grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand. "Let me go! My friend needs me," Buffy said in annoyance.

"Wait, love," Klaus said with a beseeching smile.

But Buffy wasn't about to wait. She shook her hand loose. He got off the bar stool and followed her. He grabbed her shoulder. She turned and punched him in the face, only holding back a little. After all, she didn't want to kill him, just make him go away. Without waiting to survey the damage, she ran after Faith.

Klaus rubbed his jaw in stunned amazement. That tiny slip of a girl had hit as hard as his sister hit him when he pissed her off. Was she a vampire? He went looking for Stefan. He snickered when he found him in a back room on his knees holding his man parts and whimpering. "A not so easy lay after all, huh?" Klaus observed, thoroughly entertained. Who knew that Atlanta would be so much fun?

***** _Mystic Falls*****_

Once again Damon had a house full of people. Bonnie and Matt told them all to meet at his place after they left the witch's house. This time Jeremy and Tyler joined them.

"So what did you find out?" Damon asked Bonnie.

Bonnie wasn't sure how to answer and hesitated. Matt had no such qualms. "A lot!" he said. "Willow is a _lot_ stronger than Bonnie, but you don't have to kill her. She's a friend. Tell him, Bonnie."

So they told their friends about their evening. It took a while because their friends kept interrupting.

"She can project her thoughts? I don't believe you!" Damon scoffed.

"It's true," Matt said. "And when she got upset at the memory of her girlfriend's murder, her eyes turned completely black and the house shook."

They were suitably silenced at his pronouncement. Damon frowned. Great! This was just what they needed. Another threat. 'Cause he didn't have _enough_ to worry about!

"And you're sure she's _just_ a witch?" Elena asked. After their recent discovery of hybrids or the possibility of them, she wasn't sure what else was out there that they didn't know about.

"I'm sure," Bonnie said, finally speaking. "I talked to my Grams."

There were various degrees of confused expressions staring at her. "Uh, how did you do that?" Caroline asked in confusion.

"Willow is the most powerful witch I've ever met, and she was able to send me across the veil to where my Grams was at," Bonnie shared.

They all listened in rapt attention as Bonnie assured them that Willow was not here on any Klaus related agenda. That she was someone they could trust.

Damon finally had enough. "Look, Sabrina, _you_ may be happy to discover another witch because she will always be on your side. That doesn't make her _my_ friend or _my_ ally. Until she proves she's a friend, she will be on the bad list!" Damon insisted firmly.

Bonnie had a small smile on her face. An expression her friends rarely saw on her face when she was talking to Damon. Damon was uncomfortable with her sudden amusement. "What's so funny?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm just picturing what's going to happen if you decide to challenge Willow," Bonnie said in obvious pleasure at the thought.

Matt snickered. "Dawn did say that the last person that pissed Willow off got fileted or skinned," Matt added.

Elena looked worried. She knew Damon didn't ask questions first; he reacted. She looked to Rick. Rick nodded. "Damon, don't be stupid and stay away from the woman until we know more. She's going to be interviewed for a position at the school next week. The sheriff will have to do a background check on her," Rick said.

"I'll talk to Liz," Damon said. He had to _do_ something. He couldn't just wait for the shit to hit the fan. Worry about Stefan caused him enough stress.

"Willow isn't your only concern," Matt said. He looked at Bonnie expectantly. "Tell them."

For some reason, Bonnie was reluctant to share more about what her Grams said. However, she knew she had to. "My Grams said something about the Slayer. When I mentioned Willow's name, she asked me if the Slayer was in town," Bonnie said.

"The Slayer?" Rick asked, recognizing the title but unsure why.

"That's what she said. When I told her Willow wasn't a slayer but a witch, she told me that Willow would make a good ally because she had powerful friends who could protect me," Bonnie shared.

"And you think she was referring to this Slayer?" Rick asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Grams seemed very relieved to know that Willow was in town because I've angered the witches with the spell that brought Jeremy back. She said they won't want to help me but Willow would," Bonnie said.

"So this is great!" Caroline said in relief. "We'll have another bad ass witch on our side when we get Stefan from Klaus's evil clutches."

"Let's not get carried away with the welcome wagon," Damon said pointedly. "We can't assume that anyone with the title of Slayer is a friend of ours."

Rick nodded. "He's right. The term slayer is usually in reference to someone that slays demons or vampires. I'll have to do some research," he said.

"You do that. I'll go talk to Liz," Damon said. He looked at Matt. "Keep talking to this Dawn girl. She's young and probably impressed by a guy like you. Elena, you should befriend her, too. If she's your friend, I won't have to worry so much about her witch friend becoming a problem for us."

Elena nodded, relieved that Damon was going to be reasonable for once.

When Damon and Rick left, Elena turned to Bonnie. "So what was she really like?" she asked.

"She was amazing, Elena! I can't even describe it. She's not a hereditary witch like me. I think that's why she's so strong. Grams said her power is more primal," Bonnie shared. "But being with her was like being with my Grams in a way. I can trust her. I know I can, Elena. Once you get to know her, you'll understand."

"I look forward to meeting her," Elena said cautiously. She hoped that for once Bonnie wouldn't be disappointed. Elena's guilt for the loss of her grandmother and then Jonas and Luka weighed heavily on her. Bonnie had lost a lot since Elena had fallen in love with a vampire. For Bonnie's sake, she hoped Willow would become someone Bonnie could depend on.

"You're going to love her!" Bonnie said with a smile. "She's quirky and funny and very smart."

"Dawn said she's a computer hacker," Matt said.

"She's going to be our teacher?" Tyler asked. He grinned. "Rick won't be the only teacher we can get in good with? That's _so_ going to make our senior year a cake walk!"

Caroline groaned and rolled her eyes. "Like a Lockwood needs anymore favors!" she complained.

"Dawn seemed not at all freaked when I told her about the Sun and Moon curse and the Originals," Matt supplied.

"You did what?" Caroline yelled in panic. "Tell me you're joking?"

Matt looked uncomfortable. "It's okay. She's a friend," Matt said.

"I was a friend and Caroline kept me in the dark for months," Tyler said crossly. "Why does the new girl get to join the club so soon?"

"We're not a club!" Caroline said in annoyance.

Elena listened to them bicker about Matt's big mouth and hoped even more that Bonnie's instincts about Willow turned out to be right.

***** _*Atlanta_ ******

Buffy caught up to Faith at the car they had rented. "Are you okay? What happened?" Buffy asked in concern.

"How did we not see it? What's wrong with us?" Faith asked, clearly upset.

"See what? _What_ happened?" Buffy demanded.

"That guy was a vampire! He bit me!" Faith said in outrage. She showed Buffy her neck. The wound had already closed up, but Buffy could see the drops of blood.

"He was? Did you kill him?" Buffy asked.

"I started to, but he's not like a normal vampire. He didn't get all bumpy and ugly. His eyes got veiny and he still looked hot! It's _so_ not right!" Faith complained, fuming at the injustice.

"Did he hurt you?" Buffy asked.

"No, I hurt him. I brought him to his lying knees. He won't be boinking any women anytime soon!" Faith said in satisfaction.

Buffy realized something and her mouth fell open. "You had _sex_ with him?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't _know_ he was a vamp! And before we get all judgy, let's remember that out of the two of us, _you_ are one who likes to have sex with vampires!" Faith reminded her with a pointed glare.

Buffy flushed but didn't argue further. "I guess that means his friend was a vamp, too," she said thoughtfully.

"You didn't have a clue either?" Faith asked, mollified by that fact.

"Not really. My spidey sense was tingling at first, but he was really charming. I don't think I've ever seen a vampire with dimples," Buffy remarked in bemusement. She got into the car while Faith got in the driver's side.

Faith started up the car. "I should've killed him. I know. But he moved much faster than the vamps we usually face," Faith remarked.

"Humm, maybe he's like a super-vamp or something," Buffy said.

"What like the vampanator?" Faith said with a grin.

"I don't know! You're the one who said he was faster. We should call Giles," Buffy said.

"What would you do if you actually had to figure out things yourself?" Faith asked with a snicker.

"Like you have any better clue! Giles loves it when I give him new puzzles to work out! He's like a kid in a toy store," Buffy said.

"Yeah, 'cause all guys just love it when they're given obscure facts to uncover even vaguer puzzles," Faith said snidely.

"Whatever," Buffy said, not wanting to argue. "Just drive us to the hotel. We got to get Willow to do a spell of some sort. I'm really sick of tracking this Ripper character."

She pulled out her cell to call Giles.

****** _Not too Far Away_ ******

Stefan drained the girl and shoved her aside. His balls were still throbbing from Faith's kick. He didn't know if he wanted to kill the girl who so ruthlessly hurt him or impale himself inside her. However, it would be awhile before he did either of those things. He looked around for another girl. "We need another girl," he said to Klaus.

"No, we don't. You've had enough. You're neediness is getting tiresome, old chap," Klaus said. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened with you and the beautiful ball-buster." He couldn't hold back the smirk.

Stefan glared at him. "I told you. We had sex. I bit her. She freaked and my compulsion didn't work on her. She hit me. I saw stars. I tried to reason with her. She hit me some more. Then she kneed me between the legs," he recited.

"She was familiar with vampires?" Klaus inquired a bit surprised.

"Yes. She seemed particularly pissed that she didn't realize I was one," Stefan said with a puzzled frown.

"Yet she wasn't one herself?" Klaus clarified.

"No way. She was too pissed about me biting her. She wasn't just upset that I bit her. She seemed really offended and turned off at the thought. Another vampire would not be so delicate about it," Stefan said grimly. He would never forget the look of loathing she had shot him. It bothered Stefan more than it probably should.

"Her friend Anne hit me really hard, too, when I tried to prevent her from leaving," Klaus shared distractedly. This was a puzzle. The lovely ladies weren't vampires, but they were supernaturally strong.

"She hit you?" Stefan asked in surprise. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. She reminded me of my sister. You know Rebekkah is the only woman in the world I love," Klaus said.

"Do you really love her? Are you _capable_ of real love?" Stefan asked doubtfully.

"When you live as long as I have, you'll understand that love means more when it's not given away so casually. My sister and I spent centuries together. She was the only one who ever stayed loyal to me. Never abandoned me," Klaus said. He didn't explain about how they had evaded Michael, their father for all those years. It was better if Stefan continued to believe he feared no one.

"And how exactly did you repay her devotion? Oh, I remember! You daggered her and boxed her like a used toy," Stefan reminded him. His voice tinged with disdain.

"I protected her. Always," Klaus countered. "This girl, Anne, hit me and walked away without a backward glance. That tells me she's used to always winning her battles. Only a person of great power would be so confident. Her actions were too casual. She was very comfortable with violence. Unusual for a girl, especially one so slight."

"Do you think they have some witch like empowering them or something?" Stefan speculated.

"It's possible. But why would that type of magic be wasted while they go dancing? It seems odd. There's something we are missing," Klaus said with a frown. He hated not knowing something. Sometimes his survival depended on him having all the answers.

"Well, it's not really our concern, is it?" Stefan asked. "They weren't here looking for us. They're gone."

"Yes, and we have another wolf pack to check out down in Florida. I really love the Everglades," Klaus said smiling.

"What's so great about alligators and swamps?" Stefan asked in distaste.

"It's a perfect display of the survival of the fittest. What's not to love?" Klaus said.

He chuckled as Stefan began reciting all the things he didn't love about the swamp area. Although Klaus had regrets about what he did to Elijah, it was good to have another guy to travel with. Someone who had his back. He wasn't alone anymore. And when he had his hybrids surrounding him, he'd never be alone again. Someone would always be watching his back. When your family couldn't be counted on, creating another family of sorts was almost as good. At least this way, he wouldn't have to worry about betrayal. And if they did betray them, it wouldn't hurt so much.

****** _Chapter End******_

_Please, please, take a minute and tell me what you think!_


	5. Piecing It Together

***** _Three Days Later_ *****

Willow left the principal's office of Mystic Falls High School with mixed emotions. On one hand, she was elated that she got the job as the new computer technology teacher. However, her excitement was dimmed by the fact that no one else had applied. It looked like the town was sorely lacking in computer hacking talent of any sort. Also, Willow had never had a real job before; however, she didn't think it was normal for the town's sheriff to sit in on the interview. Sheriff Forbes said that they took the protection of their kids very seriously. Although Willow kind of liked the hands on approach from the police force for once, she couldn't help but feel a bit on trial during the questioning.

Fortunately, Giles had prepared her fairly well, and the references he had suggested from his list of friends had done the trick. The principal didn't seem at all like Snyder or evil like the former Sunnydale mayor. Willow felt a trickle of excitement slip through as the principal's secretary gave her paper work to fill out.

"We hope you like Mystic Falls," the Sheriff said to her after she had finished talking to the principal.

"Thanks. I already do. Everyone has been very nice," Willow said. "I feel right at home."

"Good. My daughter Caroline is going to be a senior here this year," Sheriff Forbes told her.

"Is she a friend of Matt's because I think I met her last week? Briefly," Willow said.

"Yes, she and Matt are good friends," Sheriff Forbes replied smiling.

"My best friend's sister, Dawn, has been spending time with them. Dawn just started a part-time job at the Grille," Willow shared.

"That's right. I think I've seen her in there. My daughter practically lives there," she said with a rueful grin.

"There's not a lot of choices here," Willow said, grinning.

"True," the Sheriff said. "Is Dawn's sister going to be moving here, too?"

"Eventually. I hope she'll be here before school starts. She's finishing up some work in a nearby state," Willow said without explaining.

"I look forward to making her acquaintance. I know you'll have a great year. Well, I'll let you finish your paperwork. If you ever need me, please don't hesitate to call me or come by my office."

"I will, thanks," Willow said.

The Sheriff waved and left the school. She raised an eyebrow in surprise to see Damon Salvatore hanging out by her car. "Since when did you turn into a lurker?" she said with an amused smile.

"Since we have a new witch in town with potential slayer friends," Damon said grimly.

"Are you sure about this woman? Because she seems less harmful than Mayor Lockwood. She is funny and modest and incredibly smart. I just can't see her as a threat," she said doubtfully.

"Do Bonnie or your daughter seem dangerous?" Damon asked pointedly. "But they are. They are deadly."

The Sheriff frowned. "Well, we'll keep our eye on her. I'll have Caroline invite Dawn over soon," she suggested.

"Good idea. Rick and I are going to go check out a possibly location on Stefan. Keep an idea on things while we're gone. We'll be back tomorrow," Damon said.

"Sure. Be careful," she said. "Willow did tell me that Dawn's sister should be here before school starts."

"I wonder if she's the powerful friend Bonnie's grandmother was referring to?" Damon wondered. He was still contemplating that as the sheriff got into her car.

Damon's phone buzzed. He looked at the message. It was from Elena. He made it to her house in a minute. "That was fast," she said after she opened the door.

"Come on, Elena. I thought we established that I have no life outside of you, and I live to obey your every wish and command," Damon said with a smirk.

Elena rolled her eyes. "If only that was true. We need to talk," she said.

"So talk," he said. He went into her living room and flopped down on her couch.

"What are you doing to find Stefan? I can't stand this, Damon! I can't sleep. I can't eat. All I do is worry about him! Caroline is trying to plan this big blow out for my upcoming birthday, and it's getting harder and harder to fake my enthusiasm," she said in frustration. She threw herself down on the couch next to him.

He put his arm around her shoulder. "Calm down! Rick and I are going to check out a lead this afternoon. We'll find him," Damon assured her.

"What if you find him and he doesn't want to come home to us?" Elena asked in a small voice.

"I guess then we'll give him no choice," Damon said more confidently than he felt.

"Damon, I really think we need to see if Willow can help us," Elena said turning toward him.

"Well, Elena, _I_ really think we shouldn't," Damon said with a fake smile.

"Bonnie insists that we can trust her and that she is very powerful. Maybe if Stefan is being compelled by Klaus, Willow can help," Elena said.

"I don't think we're at that point yet, Elena. We haven't even found Stefan yet. There's too many questions about this Willow girl. I'm not going to risk bringing in someone new. Not one person we've brought in has ended up being someone we could count on," he reminded her sourly.

"Rose was," she said.

"And look how that turned out. Rose is dead. _I_ had to kill her. Not a fun time I'm anxious to repeat," he said with a haunted look in his too expressive eyes. Then he brought down his mask of indifference. But it was too late; she'd already seen it.

She reached over and put her hand over his. "Sometimes, Damon, you have to let people in. You'll be better for it," she said softly, her eyes searching his.

"I let _you_ in. I don't need anyone else. I don't need to be any better," he said unapologetically. He pulled his hand back. "Don't worry. I'll find Stefan. I'll bring him back to you. I promise." He briefly brushed the back of his hand across her cheek and then got up. "I'll call you if we find anything."

She got to her feet. "Okay. Thanks, Damon," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For being here for me. For listening. For putting up with me. Thanks," she said. She gave him a hug.

Damon allowed himself to hold her for just a moment. Then when he it began to feel too right, too comfortable, he pulled back. He gave her his customary carefree smile and left her house. Sometimes he wondered exactly when he became a glutton for punishment.

****** _A Few Streets Over_ ******

When Willow arrived back home, she was surprised to see an unexpected visitor in the living room talking to Dawn.

"Giles!" she exclaimed. She went to him and gave him a hug. "Why didn't you call us and tell us you were on your way?"

"Well, after your call the other day I just couldn't think of anything but getting here and trying to figure out this new puzzle. The phone is not a good way to convey such important information," Giles said. "I mean if what you learned is right then all the data the council has been gathering for the past few hundred years has been based on a false premise. The implications are staggering!"

He finally paused for breath. Dawn was grinning. "Didn't you just miss him?" she asked Willow fondly.

"I did!" Willow happily agreed. She sat down in the recliner next to the sofa they sat on. "I definitely could use your help. We don't have any books or anything to use for research except for the Net."

When Giles predictably rolled his eyes distastefully, the girls laughed.

"Oh, before we get distracted, how did the job interview go?" Giles asked.

"I got the job!" Willow said gleefully.

"Yes! I knew it! I told him they'd be idiots to not hire you!" Dawn said. She gave Willow an excited hug.

"Well, it helped that no one else wanted the job," Willow said with a sardonic smile.

"Always good to have an edge," Giles said dryly.

"Is it normal to have the sheriff sit in on an interview?" Willow asked him.

Giles eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What? The sheriff?" he asked in wonderment.

"Yes, she said they take their children's safety seriously. She seems nice, but I felt a bit on the hot seat," Willow confessed.

"I can imagine. No, that is not normal. However, it's no surprise that the sheriff would take such an interest, especially considering what you found out about her daughter," Giles said. He gestured to a poster board. "I started this chart on the plane. Dawn here has been helping make it bigger on the poster board and filling in the blanks. I want to make sure I have down exactly what you guys were told by Bonnie, the hereditary witch, and Matt the cute waiter."

Dawn grinned to hear the Brit refer to Matt as cute.

"So to clarify: this town definitely has vampires, but they aren't like the ones we're familiar with. The ones Buffy was called to kill originate from demons. When a human is made a vampire, they lose their souls and a demon takes their place. Their body is nothing more than a shell really. A shell with memories and emotions but twisted and evil. However, the vampires in this town originate from the Klaus family," Giles said, pointing to the chart where the name Klaus was written at the top. Everything branched from his name like a family tree. All the names of their new acquaintances and their connections were drawn out.

"Yes, that's what Matt told Dawn and Bonnie confirmed it," Willow said. "She said that Klaus' brother Elijah didn't go into detail, but they were born human and were made vampires by magical means."

"Is this Elijah fellow in town?" Giles asked. "I'd really love to get a better explanation." He wrote Elijah's name next to Klaus' with a line connecting them. He wished he had the names of the rest of their family. Incomplete data really frustrated him.

"Don't think so," Dawn said.

"From what I can tell, he's the only one of the Originals that anyone likes," Willow said. "Elena trusts him. Although he betrayed them and didn't kill his brother, I don't think anyone but Damon holds it against him. Klaus offered to reunite him with his family."

"Matt thinks since no one has seen him and Klaus had to take Stefan as his new sidekick that Klaus probably boxed him," Dawn said.

"Boxed him?" Giles asked.

"Supposedly, if a dagger is dipped in the ashes of the original tree, it makes them dead-like," Willow said with a frown. "Matt said Elena told him that when she daggered Elijah he looked like a corpse."

"They don't turn to ashes?" Giles asked.

"No. No demon origin, no ash dust. The bodies like decompose slightly but don't vanish. But if you remove the dagger, they come back to life," Willow explained.

Giles shook his head in amazement. "This is incredible! I have so many questions!" he exclaimed.

Willow chuckled. "Yeah, tell me about it. My head is spinning!" Willow agreed.

"So the working theory is that Klaus has daggered his family but has them hidden somewhere. That's how he was able to get Elijah to go back on their plan to kill him?" Giles asked.

"Yes. Elijah believed his brother when he promised to reunite him with their family," Willow said sadly. She couldn't help but feel sorry for this Elijah super-vamp. To live all those years and not have any family or any he could trust.

"The monster probably tricked him and threw them all in a cave somewhere. Then says, 'see, you're reunited with the family!' That's just mean!" Dawn said hotly.

"Kind of twisted. This Klaus fellow is going to be a real problem," Willow predicted.

"So Elena is the doppelgänger and her blood broke the curse that allows Klaus to turn into a werewolf, right?" Giles asked.

"Yes, I believe that Katherine, the first doppelgänger, hails from the bloodline of the original sacrifice," Willow replied.

"Sacrifice?" Dawn asked.

"It's always blood. Any real sacrifice requires blood," Willow said flatly. She recalled with a grimace the animal sacrifice she had to make to bring Buffy back from the dead.

Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them. "Yes, she's right. Blood is a powerful talisman. Every religion and culture has some type of myth or tale with blood in its core. Christianity rests around the bloody virgin birth of a savior that was crucified so all might have eternal life," Giles said.

"So Elena died but came back," Willow said. "Bonnie cleverly tied her lifeline to her biological father's. She came back, but he died in her place."

Giles was somber as he contemplated that level of sacrifice. "It seems that there's not much these people won't do to protect Elena," Giles remarked.

"We can relate," Willow said, giving Dawn a meaningful glance. "Bonnie also used magic to resurrect Jeremy when the sheriff shot him."

"Really?" Giles asked. "Fascinating!"

"He hadn't been dead for long. Kind of like when Buffy drowned. However, Bonnie got the dead witches to bring his soul back from the nether realm and heal him. They told her there would be consequences," Willow shared.

"There always is when magic crosses certain boundaries," Giles remarked, thinking of the time they joined their essence to defeat Adam and his own Ripper days playing with magic.

Willow, of course, was thinking about the dire consequences of resurrecting Buffy from the dead. "I'm going to have to meet Jeremy and see what consequences he's experiencing. Bonnie didn't say anything, but that doesn't mean he's not experiencing something," Willow said.

"True," Giles said. "It's good that your new friends have such dedication to one another. I'm intrigued by the idea of vampires that not only retain their souls, but they don't have any demon possessing them. Angel shares his body with Angelus, who is constantly waiting for his chance to take back possession of Angel's body. It's a constant struggle for redemption."

"I haven't spent any time with the vamps except for a meet and greet, so I can't determine how true Bonnie and Matt's claim is," Willow told him. "Supposedly they can switch of their emotions or anything that makes them human. They kill and don't allow themselves to feel emotion. But when they allow themselves to feel, they have a conscience and feel guilt."

"So they are essentially both predators and human? They are not at their core evil like the vampires we battle?" Giles asked.

"Well, from what Matt has said, they're not evil. I think Damon sometimes has issues with self-control. Matt's afraid of him, but he says that since Damon's in love with Elena, he rarely kills anybody," Dawn said.

"That's so _not_ comforting," Willow said.

"But didn't he kill Matt's sister?" Giles asked, trying to get the history straight of people he'd yet to meet.

"No, Stefan did because I guess Matt's sister Vicki was about to kill Elena. New vamps have trouble controlling their blood lust," Dawn explained. "But he did turn Vicki, so everyone blames him not Stefan for some reason."

"But they _can_ control their blood lust?" Giles asked. He knew that Angel and Spike had a few vampires working with them like Harmony that claimed to only drink animal blood, but Giles remained skeptical. A demon's nature was evil. Evil could not simply be trained out of a person in his opinion.

"Bonnie said some did better than others. Damon could when he wanted to, but when he got really upset he wasn't always predictable. Caroline only killed one person when she was first turned and since then has had no trouble only drinking from blood bags," Willow shared. "Supposedly, Elijah had no problems at all even after he'd been daggered by Elena and undaggered by her. Even though he hadn't had blood in weeks, he never hurt her or tried to feed from her. "

"This Elijah seems like a remarkable chap," Giles said with admiration. "I really wish he was around. He sounds reasonable. He'd probably answer some of my questions."

"Probably," Willow said. "He has the most control from what I've been told. He's like a poster boy for vampire self-control and restraint. Old world manners."

"But Stefan only drinks animal blood, so he has to have a lot of control, too. He abstains completely because he's like a blood addict," Dawn said.

Willow instinctively felt some sympathy for the younger Salvatore. She's had her own problem with the magics, so she knew it wasn't easy to get an addiction under control. "Klaus made Stefan drink human blood before he took him. Basically forcing him off the wagon," Willow said.

"So let me see if I have the picture: Stefan Salvatore and his older brother Damon were sired by their lover Katherine, who looks exactly like Elena who they're both in love with?" Giles asked, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

"Yep," Dawn said.

"I'll never understand you Americans!" Giles complained in disapproval.

"Hey, they were born in the 1800's, so they are barely Americans!" Dawn argued.

"Damon fought in the Civil War, Dawn. You don't get any more American than that!" Willow insisted.

"I need to meet them and ask them some questions," Giles said. "We should lay our cards on the table. You now know why there were strong magics here. We've discovered an entire line of vampires that have never been discovered before, and we have a new threat in the name of Klaus that cannot be killed. We should work together."

"Good idea!" Dawn said enthusiastically.

"How is it possible that the council didn't have a record of this? How could you not know about these vampires?" Willow asked Giles.

Giles took off his glasses again and cleaned them while he thought of how to answer. "Well, I'm not completely sure. I think that since they don't turn to dust any encounters over the years has been attributed to their age. Remember, truly ancient vampires don't turn to dust. They have a body."

"Like the Master," Willow recalled.

"Yes, he for one, and there have been a few others. I think, too, that since this line of vamps has some abilities ours don't, they've succeeded in covering up their existence effectively," Giles said.

"They have mind control like Dracula except it works on everyone that doesn't have a plant called vervain in them or on their persons," Willow explained. "I don't think they can compel witches though. Bonnie never said."

"Oh, they also have an image. I went over Caroline's the other day with Matt and met Elena. They were trying on clothes. Caroline would so not like it if she had no image!" Dawn said, grinning.

"They blend in with humans much better than the vamps we know," Willow said.

"Yes, and there seems to be a lot of witches involved with this Klaus fellow over the years. No being lives so long without having finely honed self-preservation instincts. The original family could have essentially policed the ranks if any vampire got out of control," Giles said. "However, I am not convinced that the council didn't know. They were notorious for keeping things from those on the front lines. And now that the council is gone along with most of their records, we can never know for sure."

"Yea, those pompous windbags thought very highly of themselves," Willow agreed. She didn't see the loss of the Watchers Council as that big of loss. Not after what all they put Buffy and Faith through and even Giles over the years.

"And they didn't like lines of gray," Giles said. "If slayers were taught to kill vampires, it's not so easy to then say 'only kill these certain ones'. They don't like things that are not clearly defined. If they didn't have enough information or decided that there was enough of them turning off their emotions and were a threat, it wouldn't matter if they a had a soul. They are supernatural. They are immortal. Therefore, they pose a threat to humanity. That's all that would've mattered to the council."

"Buffy's going to flip when she finds out," Dawn said.

"I'll need to do more research and reinterpret passages that may have been referring to this line of vampires. Without the data we have now, it would be easy to misconstrue what the passages were referencing," Giles said thoughtfully.

"A few like the Originals and Damon and Stefan had magical rings that allow them to walk in the daylight, so that would make it even easier to mask their nature," Willow pointed out.

"Have you figured out yet how to make this ring?" Giles asked.

"Yes, Bonnie showed me the spell. I'm going to make one for Angel and Spike," she said.

"They'll be so surprised!" Dawn exclaimed.

"So when do you want to meet everyone?" Willow asked.

"I need to rest for a few hours, but see if you can get them to bring the werewolf boy. I'd like to ask him some questions, too," Giles said.

"What about the sheriff? Do you want her here since she is actively involved in covering up what goes on in this town?" Willow asked. "They have their own version of a Watcher's Council that spans over 100 years."

Giles hadn't been this excited since a second slayer was called up. It was like being a part of history, a new undiscovered history. It made him sad that so many of his old friends from the council were no longer around to share all these exciting developments. "Yes, see if she can join us. It will be good to have someone with official authority on our side," he said.

"A definite nice change," Willow agreed.

Dawn agreed to call Matt while Willow called Bonnie to set up a gathering that night. It was time to see if their new friends would accept them once they learned about their own mystical experiences.

****** _Later That Night_ ******

Liz and her daughter went into the home of the new town residents. Liz wished Damon and Alaric were in town. She was the only adult and felt ill-equipped to deal with the new strangers who could be allies or foes. Her daughter had told her that Bonnie trusted Willow. Liz knew that the council had records of witches helping them against the vampires more than once over the past century. However, this was so out of her comfort zone that she couldn't help but be leery. She was still getting used to the fact that her only daughter was a vampire. But one that retained her humanity.

"Come in. Thanks for coming," Willow said to them as they stepped inside. The sheriff was not dressed in her uniform and seemed a bit hesitant.

"Well, I hope we can work together," Liz said. She saw a rather handsome older man sitting in a recliner talking to Bonnie. Tyler, Jeremy, Matt, and Elena were gathered around the living room. Dawn was sitting on the floor, her back against the couch.

Matt and Jeremy got up from the couch and joined Dawn on the floor around the coffee table so that Liz and Caroline could sit down.

"Sorry we don't have more furniture," Willow said ruefully.

"It's fine," Elena said. "You have nice carpet."

"We're good," Matt said. Jeremy murmured in agreement.

Willow looked carefully at Jeremy. He was much quieter than anyone else.

Standing by Jeremy unseen was his dead vampire girlfriend Anna. "She can't see me," Anna assured him before he could ask.

Jeremy wanted to ask her about the new friends, but Willow's too intelligent gaze was on him. "She's looking at you because she knows," Anna said.

Jeremy looked sharply at her. Not being able to communicate with her was frustrating.

"I mean she doesn't know you can see the dead, but she knows that magic has consequences. She's very powerful," Anna said with a frown. She didn't know if this was a good thing or not. "I better go." She disappeared before Jeremy could respond. Jeremy was still getting used to the fact that he could communicate with the dead. So far it was just Anna and Vicki. He longed for a glimpse of his parents or Jenna, but he hadn't been able to see them yet. It seemed like a cruel joke that he could finally communicate with the people he'd lost and the ones he wanted to see the most remained elusive.

"Giles, this is the Sheriff and her daughter Caroline," Willow introduced.

Giles smiled warmly at the attractive woman who stood next to Caroline. She was younger looking than he'd pictured. And more attractive. "Please, call me Rupert," he said.

"Liz," she said, smiling.

"Rupert? What kind of name is that?" Caroline said, wrinkling her nose distastefully.

"You may call me Mr. Giles or Giles," he said sternly, causing Dawn to giggle.

"Not even Buffy is allowed to call him by his first name," Dawn said.

"Thanks for coming," Giles said, ignoring the teens' tiresome sense of humor like he'd done for so long.

"We're very interested in getting to know our new town residents," Liz said carefully.

"We called you here because we wanted to lay our cards on the table," Willow said. "We know pretty much everything about all of you and the town's history."

"Well, I have a lot of questions," Giles added.

"He always does," Dawn said to her new friends, who smiled.

The British guy seemed very serious and intimidating to the Mystic Falls teens. Elena found Dawn's relationship with the older man fascinating. Giles seemed tolerant and even affectionate toward her but his affection wasn't overt. Elena was sensitive to such things because of her time with the Salvatore brothers. Some bonds were tangible even if the words people were saying belied the bonds.

Matt was just hoping that all his friends would be reassured about Dawn and Willow because Damon might kill him when he found out that Matt told them everything he knew.

"That's good. We have some questions of our own," Liz replied.

"Who is the slayer?" Elena asked.

Giles look at her questioningly. Bonnie answered, "My Grams mentioned that Willow would bring the slayer."

"Rick said a slayer probably wasn't a good thing for vampires," Caroline said a bit anxiously.

"My sister Buffy is the slayer," Dawn asked.

"Your sister?" Matt asked with a frown. This would not be good. Damon would not be happy.

"The vampire slayer," Giles said. "In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."

"He loves saying that!" Willow said, grinning.

"What does that mean exactly?" Liz asked.

"A vampire slayer is imbued with supernatural strength to fight and kill vampires and demons. Anyone or anything that is a threat to humans. She has accelerated healing abilities and great gifts that help empower her in battle," Giles explained.

"She kicks major ass!" Dawn boasted.

Elena got up in concern. "Are you going to hurt my friends?" she asked them.

"A slayer's calling and duty is to kill supernatural creatures that hurt humans," Giles said. "When she dies another slayer is called to take her place."

"Well, not anymore," Willow said with a bashful, proud smile.

"Buffy doesn't kill unless the person or demon is hurting humans. We've had demon friends or ex-demon friends. Buffy was in love with two vampires, so don't worry," Dawn said.

"Dawn, please leave the explaining to us," Giles warned.

"To answer your question, no, Buffy won't hurt you, Caroline, or anyone unless they are killing humans," Willow assured them.

"We can't say the same thing about Faith though," Dawn joked.

"Dawn!" Giles warned when their guests looked worried.

"Who's Faith?" Bonnie asked.

"She's slayer number two," Willow said. "Buffy died briefly our sophomore year of high school and another slayer was called. Kendra was her name, so there were two slayers."

"That was the first time that had ever happened and slayers have been around for generations," Giles explained.

"When Kendra was killed by a vampire, Faith was called," Willow explained. "She's a bit darker and more impulsive than Buffy." She gave Dawn a warning look before she could open her mouth and add commentary or share Faith's history. That was not a talk they needed to have now.

"And where are they now? You said your friend Buffy was working in a nearby state?" Liz asked.

"They are tracking a really bad vamp that has left bodies in several states," Willow explained. "The vampire is called The Ripper."

Elena gasped and sat back down. Bonnie grabbed her hand in comfort. "The Ripper? Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, why? Do you know this vamp?" Willow asked.

Elena traded concerned glances with Caroline and Bonnie before answering. "The Ripper is what they called Stefan when he was drinking human blood. He can't control himself when he's off the rails, and he's with Klaus," she announced.

Giles looked at Willow, who was equally dismayed. This could be a problem.

****** _TO Be CONTINUED_ ******

_I hope my explanation about the different vamps and Buffy and company not knowing about them seems probable. I didn't want to create a complicated reason. Obviously, the two vampire worlds are very different. When doing crossovers, you can either pretend the worlds aren't different (which I don't like) or you can find a way to meld them in a way that seems to make sense. I hope to do that, so feel free to help if you think I need help making it believable. Are you happy I brought Giles to Mystic Falls? Please review!_


	6. Revealing What is Hidden

******* _Same Scooby Time, Same Scooby Place_ ******

"Stefan Salvatore is The Ripper? The vampire that's been leaving bodies in more than a few states?" Giles asked in surprise.

"That's not true! Stefan wouldn't do that!" Elena insisted.

"Well, that's not exactly true," Liz said hesitatingly.

All eyes looked to her for explanation. "Damon and Alaric have been tracking Stefan's kills since he left," she told them.

"It's not Stefan! It's Klaus!" Elena insisted, upset. She instinctively looked for Damon to reassure her and then recalled he wasn't there. Then she became angry as she realized he had been keeping things from her.

"Stefan isn't a murderer!" Caroline agreed.

"He was once, right?" Bonnie reminded them. She looked at Elena. "Didn't you tell me that he admitted to you that he had killed his own father and forced Damon to become a vampire? Human blood makes him crazy with blood lust."

Elena looked doubtful and Liz added, "Damon is convinced it's Stefan due to the way the victims are killed."

"He rips off their heads," Giles supplied when she hesitated.

Caroline gasped and Elena looked ill.

"Damon didn't want to upset you," Liz explained to Elena.

Elena couldn't believe Damon kept this from her. She felt betrayed. She pulled out her phone and got up to call him.

***** _*Georgia******_

Damon answered his phone, "Hello, Elena."

"How could you not tell me that Stefan is leaving bodies all over the place?" she demanded, the hurt and anger evident in her voice.

Damon winced. "Who told you?" he asked.

"How could you have _not_?" she countered. "I thought we were a team. That we were in this together. I thought you understood that."

"I do and we are," he replied. "I guess I just didn't want to face it until I saw him myself to assess how far gone he was. I wanted to spare you until I knew."

"Knew what?" she asked.

"If he could be saved," Damon replied.

"Damon, we have to save him!" she cried. "He'd save you. He'd do anything. In fact, he already did!"

Damon felt the reminder like a blow. He knew exactly what his life had cost Stefan. Every body they discovered was like a reminder of what he had lost. "I know Elena. Believe me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said quietly.

Elena didn't say anything a moment. Then she turned and faced the people on the other side of the room. "We have a bigger problem," Elena finally told him.

"Problem?" Damon asked.

"What's going on?" Alaric asked. Damon waved him away and waited for Elena to explain.

"Willow and her friend Mr. Giles told us a bit more about what they're doing here," Elena said.

"Giles? Who's that?" Damon asked.

"He arrived today from England. He's their mentor I think. Not important. What's important is what they told us. Dawn's sister Buffy is the Vampire Slayer," Elena revealed.

"A vampire slayer?" Damon asked.

"What's going on?" Alaric asked impatiently.

"Hold on, Elena," Damon said, and he lowered the phone so he could explain. "Elena knows Stefan is off the rails and leaving bodies. The Willow Witch has a new friend in town, and they told her that Dawn's sister Buffy is a vampire slayer."

Rick absorbed that news while Damon went back to his phone call. "So she's here to kill us?" Damon asked.

"No. She and another slayer are on the trail of the Ripper. A vampire that has been leaving bodies everywhere. A vampire I now know is Stefan," Elena said grimly.

"Oh, that's just great!" Damon said sarcastically. "That's all we need!"

"That's not all, Damon. She's superhuman. Very strong. Empowered to kill vampires, and she's after Stefan!" Elena said, a note of hysteria in her voice.

"Things just keep getting better!" Damon said unhappily.

"Elena, get back over here!" Caroline called.

She held up her index figure. "I gotta go, Damon. I'll call you back after I convince Willow to call off her slayer friend," Elena said.

She hung up before Damon could reply. Damon hit the disconnect key a bit too hard. "She hung up on me!" he complained.

"What's the plan?" Rick asked.

"Elena said she was going to convince Willow to call off her slayer friend, but for some reason, I'm not feeling any better," Damon said grimly.

"In my experience, slayers and hunters just don't back off 'cause someone asks them to," Rick said.

"You did," Damon reminded him.

"Not because you asked nicely," Rick said. "I just saw more in you and Stefan than what I had previously known."

"What did you see?" Damon asked for the first time. He never quite understood why Alaric had quit hating him for what he did to Isobel.

"I saw a bond between you and your brother that was stronger than any bad history. It was stronger than hate. Even when you were at odds, you were always brothers first. Always working toward one purpose. Stefan loved you even at your worst. I knew that type of love and devotion didn't just happen. A person had to have earned it at some time," Rick said frankly. "You had to be worth more than what you were showing. And occasionally on very rare occasions, I see the man you used to be and sometimes still are."

Rick's words surprised Damon so much that he didn't speak for a full minute. When he did look at Rick again, he still hadn't figured out what to say. However, his too expressive eyes said enough. Rick held up a hand. "It's okay, buddy, you don't need to say anything. We're good," Rick said smiling.

"So what are we going to do?" Damon finally asked.

"I guess we pray that we find Stefan before the two slayers do," Rick said grimly.

Damon hoped for once luck would be on their side.

****** _Back in Mystic Falls*******_

Elena put away her phone and joined her friends. "So can you call Buffy and tell her not to kill Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Here's the thing. Your boyfriend has shown himself to be out of control and very deadly. He's a murderer and the police can't deal with him. It's her job to do so," Giles said somberly. "It's why slayers were created. To safeguard humanity and make sure forces like Klaus couldn't run rampart unchecked."

"I'm not sure if Buffy and Faith can handle both of them," Willow said in concern.

"Can't you get Stefan away from Klaus, so we can like rehabilitate him or something?" Caroline asked.

"Is there any proof yet that Klaus has been successful in creating hybrids?" Giles asked. He looked at Tyler. "Have you heard anything from any of your pack?"

"Well, I don't exactly have a pack. I had an uncle before Damon ripped out his heart," Tyler said bitterly.

"Only because Mason was trying to have Liz kill him and Stefan," Elena reminded him crossly. "A vampire bite is deadly to vampires. It's why we're in this mess to begin with. You bit Damon. He was dying and Stefan gave himself over to Klaus to save Damon. Damon may be an impulsive ass sometimes, but he's come through for me a lot more than you have!"

Tyler looked uncomfortable at Elena's uncharacteristic criticism but didn't try to defend himself.

"Klaus has a cure for this werewolf bite?" Giles asked, choosing to ignore their sniping.

"His blood is the cure," Elena shared. "He is both a vampire and a werewolf."

"A true hybrid," Giles said thoughtfully. He looked at Willow. "I wonder if Oz's strain of werewolf has the same effect on vampires?"

"No, because he bit Angel once, remember?" Willow reminded her.

"Who's Oz and Angel?" Elena asked.

"Oz is my ex-boyfriend. He got bit by a werewolf when we were in high school and for three days a month he wolfs out," Willow explained. "Angel is Buffy's ex. He's a vampire with a soul."

"The vampires we know are all soulless demons who turn to dust after Buffy stakes them. They don't come from the Originals you know. They come from demons. They're evil. But Angel was cursed by gypsies and has a soul. He's the only vampire we knew that could control himself," Dawn shared. "Until Spike got back his soul."

When their new friends looked confused, Giles waved his hand dismissively. "None of that matters now. We can compare stories later. Right now we need to figure out our next course of action," he said.

"Yes," Liz agreed. "I know Stefan Salvatore. He's always been a good man. Damon loves his brother and would not let anyone just kill him. So your slayer friends won't just be facing Stefan and Klaus but Damon, too."

Elena got to her feet visibly upset. "You can't let them be killed! Damon has come so far since he came back home. He's not the same man he was when he first got here. He's got a good heart. I know it!" she insisted.

"Rick believes it," Jeremy said, speaking for the first time. He knew that Damon was often horrible, but he was also someone who didn't have any pretense. He spoke his mind. You knew where you stood with Damon. Jeremy admired that, especially when his sister so often kept him in the dark. And he wasn't oblivious to how much Damon cared about his sister. Sometimes Jeremy thought the man cared too much. Elena was never going to love him the way she did Stefan.

"I wouldn't count Damon out," Anna said, suddenly appearing beside him.

Jeremy looked at her in surprise. "You were thinking about vampires who love humans. Some part of you was obviously thinking about me, so here I am," she said, answering his unspoken question.

"Stefan is Elena's first love. It doesn't mean he'll be her last or her only," Anna said.

Willow look intently at Jeremy. "She senses me. She's very powerful," Anna said nervously.

"Who's here?" Willow asked. She directed her question at Jeremy.

"What do you mean, Will?" Dawn asked, puzzled.

"There's a presence here. It's not supposed to be," Willow said with a frown.

"Is it evil?" Dawn asked in concern. The others started looking around perplexed.

Willow got up and stood in front of Jeremy. "Who is here?" she demanded to know.

"What are you talking about? Jeremy isn't a witch!" Elena said. She looked to Bonnie for help.

"Your brother was brought back to life by magical means. It has changed him," Willow stated.

"Jer, what's going on? Is there something you're keeping from us?" Elena asked.

Jeremy resigned himself to the inevitable. "It's Anna. Anna is here," he said.

"What do you mean Anna is here?" Elena asked.

"Anna the vampire?" Matt asked, shocked. "I thought she was dead."

"She is," Jeremy said.

Willow's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You see the dead?" she asked.

"Yes," Jeremy said. "Or some. Just Anna and Vicky."

"Vicky? You've seen my sister?" Matt asked in dismay. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, she is," Jeremy said. He looked as Vicky suddenly appeared next to Anna. "She's here now."

Matt looked around, a wild look in his eyes. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She's right next to you. Her hand is on your shoulder," Jeremy said.

Vicky looked sadly at her brother. Matt put his hand on his shoulder, but he didn't feel anything.

"Tell Mattie I love him and that I'm okay," Vicky said.

"She says she loves you and that she's okay," Jeremy said.

Matt's eyes filled with tears. Elena moved and put a comforting arm on his shoulder.

"Have you see Mom and Dad? Or Jenna?" Elena asked anxiously.

"No," Jeremy said, the disappointment obvious in his expression.

"Well, that just blows!" Caroline exclaimed. "What's the point in getting a new spooky gift if you can't see anyone but your crazy ex-vamp girlfriends?"

"Caroline!" Bonnie said in disapproval.

"Well, I'm sorry, but that's really lame!" Caroline said unrepentantly.

Dawn secretly agreed and had to hold back a snicker. She really liked Caroline.

"I don't mean to appear insensitive to the gravity of this moment," Giles said. "But we have a situation that is rapidly escalating that we need to address."

Willow nodded. "Give me a minute," she said then turned back to Jeremy and said, "Trust me when I say the dead speaking to you is _not_ a good thing. Their motives are suspect, and they can be manipulated to hurt you. This is not a gift. This is a curse, and you're a fool if you trust your dead girlfriends. Death can change the soul of the one you love. The dead don't have the same concerns or priorities that we do. Other beings on the other side can both imitate your loved ones and taint them or use them for other purposes. Don't be so trusting. And _don't_ give them an open invitation." Willow chanted something in Latin, her eyes grew white and energy flew throughout the room. "What is hidden will be revealed!" she commanded. Everyone gasped as Anna and Vicky's form was revealed. Lightening held them suspended.

Matt jumped up. "What are you doing? You're hurting her!" Matt said. He pushed against Willow's shoulder.

Willow raised her hand and Matt flew off his feet and hit the couch hard. "Don't interfere!" she ordered.

Elena jumped back. "Bonnie!" she said beseechingly to her friend.

"She won't hurt Jeremy," Bonnie said confidently, ignoring her own misgivings.

"If either of you have any one else pulling your strings, I suggest you leave and never return before I destroy you!" Willow said to the ghostly forms.

Vicky flashed her brother a longing look. "I'm sorry, Mattie. I love you!" she said. Then she disappeared.

"I'm not a threat! I promise!" Anna shouted in fear.

Willow waved her hand and the lightening stopped. Her eyes returned to normal. Anna disappeared. Only Jeremy could see her. "If anyone on the other side has any plans to harm anyone in this room, they'd better think twice. I've got enough on my plate and don't need to worry about them!" Willow said to Anna who she knew was still there even if no longer visible. "Your friend better let us know if there's anything a foot." She gave Jeremy a stern look of warning.

"Tell her I understand. I'll warn her. I promise," Anna said. Then she left.

Willow flashed everyone an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for the light show and theatrics. But I was one time tricked by a ghostly visit. The First had all kinds of ghost showing up tormenting us," Willow said.

"My dead mother came to me. She seemed like my mom. She looked like my mom, but she said horrible, horrible things," Dawn shared, shuddering visibly at the memory.

"Who's the First?" Liz asked.

"The First is the first evil. The origin and embodiment of all evil. Buffy battled him. We all did. It was quite terrible," Giles shared, grim at the memories of the violence and the loss. Too much loss.

"That's how our friend Xander lost his eye. The First's disciple—or whatever Caleb was—put his thumb through Xander's eye," Dawn told them grimacing.

"This is all too much for me!" Matt exclaimed. He got up from the couch. "My sister would never hurt me no matter what form she was in!" He glared at Willow and stormed out of the room.

"I'll go after him," Tyler said. He got up.

"Me, too," Dawn said. They followed Matt out of the house.

"Man, Dawn wasn't exaggerating!" Caroline exclaimed with admiration. "You are one bad-ass witch!"

"Can you use your power to help Stefan?" Elena asked, reminding them of the current problem.

"Yes. We just need to track him down before Buffy does. I'll call her," she said. She got out her phone to make the call.

****** _Outside of Atlanta_ ******

Damon got back in his car, slamming the door hard behind him. He hit the steering wheel. "I can't believe this! More bodies and no sign of Stefan once again!" he yelled.

"We can't be too far behind them. Those bodies were very fresh," Rick said.

"I don't want to have to tell Elena we're nowhere once again," Damon said in frustration.

"Why don't we drive further down the road? Stop at some bars and places they might've stopped. Ask some questions," Rick suggested. "It can't hurt."

Damon decided anything was better than going home once again empty handed, so he started the car. "Might as well," he said.

****** _An Hour Later******_

"Did you get a hold of anyone?" Faith asked Buffy as they were driving south down the highway.

"No. There's still no signal!" Buffy said with an annoyed frown. She put up the phone. Suddenly, the car swerved. "Watch it!"

"It's not me!" Faith said, trying to regain control of the car. She pushed on the brake to slow it down and struggled to keep the car straight. Finally, she was able to pull off the road onto the shoulder.

The girls got out of the car to see what was wrong. The back passenger side car was flat.

"Great! A flat!" Faith exclaimed in annoyance.

"And we can't call anyone!" Buffy said pulling out her phone to try in vain for a signal.

"I guess we should check the trunk and see if there's a spare or something," Faith said. She went and popped the trunk.

Buffy lifted up the trunk cover and frowned when she saw a small tire. "There's a small one. I don't think it'll fit."

Faith looked. "It's a donut tire," she explained. She unscrewed it and pulled it out. She grabbed the small tire arm that was next to it. "It's supposed to just get you to a tire shop or some place that can fix the flat."

"Isn't there supposed to be a jack or something?" Buffy asked, her brows knitted together in confusion.

"Hmm. Guess they forgot to put one in," Faith observed. "Whatever will we do?" She flashed Buffy a grin. "So you can hold it up or I can."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Buffy asked.

"How hard could it be?" Faith said with a shrug. They walked over to the flat tire. "You just use this thing to unscrew the bolts and the tire comes off."

Buffy looked at the road as another car passed by. "We can't be seen lifting the car up ourselves!" she admonished.

"It's dark outside. Who's going to see?" Faith pointed out.

Buffy resigned herself to being used as a jack and lifted up the compact car while Faith began to undo the bolts.

Just then another car pulled up behind them. "Great! We got company!" Buffy said with a frown. She carefully lowered the car.

Damon and Alaric saw a car pulled over. It was jacked up. "They must have a flat," Rick said. He slowed down the car. His headlights illuminated the car.

"They're women. We should be gentlemen and give them a hand," Damon said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Rick rolled his eyes, but he pulled his car behind them.

"Damn it!" Faith yelled. "I dropped one of the bolts."

Buffy was bent down trying to help her find it when a voice said, "Are you girls okay?"

Buffy looked and saw the silhouette of two men. The lights from their car highlighted their forms until they stepped closer to the girls and became shadowed.

"We lost a bolt," Buffy said, eying them warily.

Rick opened up one of their car doors and more light lit up the ground from the inside dome light. "This should help," he said. He gave her a friendly smile.

"Thanks," Buffy said.

"Got it!" Faith said happily.

"Uh, you know you need a jack," Rick told them when he noticed they didn't have one. "You don't want to take off those bolts without one. You could get hurt."

Faith looked at Buffy and grinned. Buffy kept a somber expression on her face and channeled her inner valley girl. "Oh no! It's so good that you came along! Do you guys happen to have a jack?" she asked.

"I'll get it," Damon said.

While Damon was getting the jack, Rick smiled and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Alaric Saltzman. Most people call me Rick," he said to Buffy. When she smiled at him, he blinked. When she took his offered him, he sucked in a sudden breath as he felt an attraction he'd never felt before. Not even for Jenna or his wife. He pulled back his hand quickly as if it burned him.

"I'm Anne," she said, giving him a puzzled look at his sudden withdraw.

"Sorry. I couldn't remember if my hands are clean. We've been driving for hours," he offered with a sheepish smile.

"This is Faith," Buffy said, pointing to her friend.

"Hey," Faith said. She was more restrained after the previous encounter at the club.

Damon came back with the jack and in just a few minutes had the tire changed. He loaded the flat tire in his trunk. "Oh, my friend is Damon," Rick said. "Damon this is Anne and Faith."

Damon slammed his trunk and turned back to the ladies. He offered his most charming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said to them. "Where are you two heading to so late?"

"Down the highway," Faith said in annoyance.

"Looking for a friend we've lost touch with," Buffy said, keeping her tone friendly.

"Well, you don't want to go far on this donut tire. And I doubt you'll find any place open to fix it until morning," Rick said. "Why don't we follow you into the next town? Surely, you can find a hotel for the night."

"Good idea. Thanks," Buffy said. The girls got in the car with a wave.

"We don't have time for this, Rick," Damon said in frustration as they got back in their car.

"We're going to make time. We were headed that direction anyway. Klaus and Stefan have to stop for gas sometimes. Who knows? We are just as likely to run into them following these women as not," Rick said. "Since when don't you want to help beautiful women? You were the one that insisted we stop."

Damon grinned. "True. They were very fine!" he exclaimed. "And don't think I didn't notice you looking at the Anne girl. The helpless blonde routine reminds me too much of Caroline pre-vamp days, so no thanks."

"It's way too soon for me to be looking at women," Rick said, feeling guilty for his sudden interest in the stranger. "But I did feel something, and I didn't know if I ever would again."

Damon couldn't help but feel some relief that his friend was pulling back from his grief. It'd been almost three months since Jenna had died. Although Damon knew time couldn't really heal nor make a person forget someone they loved, he had hoped Rick would quit drowning his sorrows quite so much. His frail human form couldn't handle the drinking like Damon's could. "Fine. Let's play the gentlemen a little while longer," he said.

Rick drove the car slowly after the women.

"Wait! I just realized something!" Damon said. "When we drove up to the car, it was off the ground. We assumed it was jacked up. However, there was no jack when we got there. Nor was it off the ground."

Rick frowned. "Must've been a trick of the light. It's dark. We must have saw it wrong," he said.

"I know what I saw!" Damon insisted. Then he recalled his conversation with Elena.

"There are two vampire slayers with supernatural strength on the trail of Stefan. What if those two helpless women aren't quite so helpless?" Damon suggested.

Rick frowned as he contemplated what that would mean. "But the girl was so tiny," he pointed out.

"Looks can be deceiving," Damon said.

Rick sighed and wondered again why people could never be who they appeared to be.

******* _Chapter End*******_


	7. Face to Face

***** _Where We Left Off_ ******

"If they are slayers, what's the plan?" Rick asked Damon.

"We should see what exactly they know about Stefan's location before we kill them," he said.

"We're not just going to kill them!" Rick protested. "They're young girls."

"Well, they're not that young, so I'm not making any promises," Damon said grimly.

A Flying J's truck stop was up ahead. A hotel was next to it. They followed the ladies into the parking lot.

Buffy got out of the car and gave the two men a friendly smile. "Thanks for all your help. We'll stay at this hotel tonight. Have you had dinner? Let us buy you dinner as a thank you," she said. She ignored Faith's glare of protest.

"Why that's awfully nice of you," Damon said using his fakest friendly voice.

They went into the restaurant end of the truck stop. They made small talk while they waited for their food.

"So where are you ladies from?" Damon asked.

"Around," Faith said vaguely.

"California," Buffy said.

Damon gave Rick a pointed look. "Oh, yeah, what part?" Rick asked.

"Los Angeles is where I grew up. When my parents divorced, we moved to a suburb town a few hours away," Buffy said.

"Do you have any family?" Damon asked her.

"Yes. A sister. How about you?" she shot back.

"A younger brother. He's been a bit out of it lately, but we're very close," Damon said.

"I'm an only child," Rick supplied.

"Me, too. How about that?" Faith said with a bored smile. "Our food is here."

They ate a few minutes in silence. Then Faith pulled out her phone when it rang. "Hey, we finally have a signal," she said. She checked the caller I.D. and saw it was Willow. "Will?"

Damon and Rick, of course, noticed the name and listened intently.

"Faith? We've been trying to get a hold of you but you didn't answer," Willow said on the other end of the line.

"Yes, well, we were in the middle of nowhere and had a flat tire," Faith said.

"We've got some important news. Let me talk to Buffy," Willow said.

"Why don't you let her call you back? We're having dinner with some new friends. Give me five," Faith said. She hung up before Willow could reply. She didn't want their "new friends" overhearing anything delicate.

"Is everything okay?" Buffy asked.

"I'm not sure. I told her we'll call her back," Faith said. She finished her burger and guzzled down the rest of her soda.

"I guess taste doesn't matter," Rick said, watching her with amusement.

"Faith isn't one to savor," Buffy said with a cheeky grin.

"But I bet _you_ are," Damon said with a flirtatious smile. Knowing she wasn't the helpless valley girl she pretended to be made her much more interesting.

"Well, thanks guys, but we need to go," Faith said getting out of the booth. "Let's go B."

"B?" Rick asked with a confused frown. Unlike Damon, he didn't have super hearing and couldn't overhear Faith's phone call.

"A nickname," Buffy replied. She opened up her purse and put some money down on the table. "Thanks again, guys."

"No problem," Rick said, smiling at her. Buffy found herself locked a moment in his gaze. But Faith's impatient, "Come on!" pulled her away from him. She gave him a regretful look and walked away. His eyes held such pain and sorrow. Something in her responded to his pain.

As soon as they were out of sight, Damon said, "They are _totally_ the slayers Elena warned us about. She was talking to Willow and Anne said she was from California. Probably a town called Sunnydale. And how much do you want to bet her name isn't Anne but Buffy! That's what the "B" stands for Faith keeps calling her! Willow asked to speak to Buffy!"

"So what do you want to do?" Rick asked in resignation.

"Let's corner them and make them talk," Damon said with an arrogant shrug.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Rick said.

"You got your ring on. I doubt the two slayers are stronger than me. We'll be fine," Damon said.

He led the way out of the restaurant.

Outside by the car, Buffy was on the phone to Willow. "What do you mean I can't kill the Ripper?" Buffy asked.

"He is Elena's boyfriend, Stefan, and normally a good guy. He's got a little problem with blood lust. These vamps here in Mystic Falls aren't like the ones we know. They have a soul and a conscience unless they switch off their humanity. Klaus is the real problem. He's the original vamp they all come from. And he's also an immortal hybrid who can't be killed," Willow told her.

"What's a hybrid?" Buffy asked. Her mind was racing with all the intel Willow was giving her, but she focused on something a bit more tangible. Hybrid wasn't a term she'd heard before.

"He's both a vampire and a werewolf," Willow supplied. "Bonnie and I are tracking Stefan. We should have his exact location soon."

"Call me when you know," Buffy said.

"Buffy, this is more than you two can handle on your own. This Klaus guy is not going to give up Stefan without a fight," Willow said. "As soon as I get a beat on him, I am coming to you."

"Okay, call me when you get Stefan's location though," Buffy said. She said goodbye and disconnected.

"Well, look at this, Rick. I think _Anne_ and Faith here are looking for someone we know quite well," Damon said loudly causing both girls to turn next toward him.

"Oh, yeah? Who's that?" Faith asked suspiciously.

"My brother, Stefan Salvatore," Damon said grimly. He moved with super speed and pinned Faith to the car by her throat. Before Damon could blink, Faith knocked his head upward with a hard blow to his throat. She didn't hesitate to hit him again before he could react. While she was trading blows with Damon, Buffy moved and knocked Rick hard to the ground with on swift kick in the stomach.

"Human! I'm human!" Rick gasped as Buffy pounced on him and held a stake up over his head ready to stake him.

She looked at him in confusion. "You are?" she asked. She looked back at Faith, who was hitting Damon in the face. He used his super speed to get behind her back and tried to put her in a choke hold. She stomped hard on his foot and head butted him in the face with the back of her head. "You just hang out with vampires?" she asked Rick.

"Sometimes," he replied with a sheepish smile.

"Stop, Faith!" Buffy called out.

"No way! This guy is a vamp and brother to Stefan. He's toast!" Faith swore. She had correctly deduced that the vamp she made it with at the club not only was a vampire, but the vampire they were on the trail of. Her stupidity and self-loathing fueled her rage.

Buffy jumped off of Rick, who felt a bit disappointed to not have her so close. He gave a self-deprecating smile. He'd been spending too much time with Damon.

Buffy grabbed Faith's arm. She swung back and hit Buffy. Without hesitating, Buffy returned the blow much harder. "I _said_ stop!" she ordered.

Faith rubbed her jaw in annoyance. "Gee, B, did you have to hit me so hard?" Faith complained.

"You hit me first!" Buffy pointed out.

Damon gave Rick a perplexed frown. He didn't know what to think about these two women. He grossly underestimated the two of them. His own jaw was quite sore. He rubbed it.

"How about we talk a moment?" Rick suggested reasonably. "Let's take a breath and simply talk."

"Fine. Explain to me why we shouldn't kill your friend here who is definitely a vampire. And in case you didn't know, we are vampire slayers," Buffy said.

"So this slaying gig gives you super strength and what else?" Damon asked with interest.

"Keep pissing us off and you'll find out," Faith said grimly. Some people came out of the truck stop and eyed them suspiciously.

"We should take this some place more private," Buffy said.

"Good idea," Rick said.

"Let's go, Faith," Buffy ordered. She turned to the guys. "We are going to go get a room at the hotel. Meet us in the lobby in five minutes, and we'll continue this." Faith grudgingly followed Buffy into the car.

"You just had to go and pick a fight, didn't you?" Rick said in disgust. "I so love getting my ass kicked by a girl half my size."

"You only got hit once, you big baby! I got hit like a half a dozen times!" Damon complained as they got into his car and drove the short distance to the hotel.

"Well, it's clear that the two women are definitely a match for both of us," Rick remarked. "Anne or Buffy-whoever she is-had me on my back ready to stake me in less than a minute."

"Faith doesn't move as fast as me, but she has incredible reflexes and superb fighting skills. She anticipated my every move," Damon said, a note of grudging admiration in his voice.

"Did you see the way Buffy didn't hesitate to hit her back? I got the feeling that they communicate very differently than the girls we know," Rick said.

"It was clear, too, that Buffy is calling the shots, so we just have to convince her to work with us and not against us," Damon remarked.

"And you think you can do that?" Rick asked doubtfully.

"Hey, I can be diplomatic when necessary," Damon protested.

Rick scoffed in disbelief as they got out of the car. Buffy had a key card in her hand and indicated that they follow her. There was no talking as they made their way to the room they rented. As soon as they were inside, Buffy turned to them and said, "Talk and tell me why exactly we shouldn't slay you right now?"

"Like you could!" Damon said arrogantly.

Buffy got in his face, fire shooting out of her eyes. "I have killed vampires much more powerful than you! I've killed hell gods, demons, the First evil, and I've even killed the man I love! Believe _me_ , I won't have any trouble putting you down!" she said in a threatening tone.

Damon looked into her eyes and saw only fire and strength and determination. This was a woman who didn't accept failure, didn't know defeat, and would not hesitate to kill him. He saw the resolve in her eyes, so he quickly held up his hands in surrender. "Relax Anne or should I say Buffy?" he asked.

"You know who I am? Then you should know not to piss me off! You should also know that we have a job to do, and we will do it," Buffy warned.

"When I catch your brother, he's going to get a beating like he's never known," Faith vowed. "And I don't care what she says or what deals you make. Your brother is going to learn some manners!"

"What did he do?" Damon asked.

"You mean besides leave headless bodies in several states?" Faith said scornfully. "He tried to bite me!"

"And that's worse?" Damon asked with a mocking grin.

Faith moved to hit him and Buffy jumped in front of her. "No fighting, Faith. Not yet!" Buffy commanded.

"We ran into your brother and a guy who said his name was Nik at a club. We didn't realize they were who we were looking for," Buffy admitted grimly.

"Klaus's name is actually Niklaus. Only his family calls him Nik," Rick said.

"I don't care what we call him as long as I can kill him," Buffy said. "Or is he a special friend or relative, too?"

"No, kill away!" Damon said with a grin.

"I'm not sure you're going to find him very easy to kill," Rick said carefully. "Not that I doubt your abilities, but so far we've not found anything that can work on Klaus."

"So what's his agenda?" Faith asked. "What does he want?"

"He's trying to make more hybrids like him, so he can have an army of them," Rick shared.

"That's not going to happen!" Buffy vowed.

"I don't really care what Klaus does. I just want my brother out of his clutches," Damon said.

"So Willow tells me that you and your brother aren't like the vampires we know. You aren't soulless demons?" Buffy wondered.

"Depends on who you ask," Damon said with a wicked grin.

"You can choose to not kill? You have a conscience?" Buffy asked.

"We can. We're predators, but we don't have to kill to feed. The older the vampire, the better control they have. Except for vampire Barbie. She had remarkable control from the beginning," Damon said.

"Vampire Barbie?" Faith asked in confusion.

"That's what he calls Caroline. He thinks his nicknames are amusing," Rick said with an eye roll.

"They totally are!" Damon insisted with a smirk.

"Well, your nickname is jackass. Does that make you laugh?" Rick asked.

"It makes _me_ laugh," Faith said grinning.

"Willow is working on tracking Stefan's location," Buffy shared. "I'll try not to kill your brother, but I'm not making any promises." She knew better than to make promises she couldn't keep. In the heat of battle, things happened.

Damon didn't appreciate her remarks. "Not good enough! If you kill my brother, I'll break your neck!" he swore.

"You'll try!" Faith exclaimed angrily. "There's two of us and something tells me your super-speed has always been your main advantage. You have no real fighting skills. It won't even be hard to keep you at bay."

"Let's calm down!" Rick advised. "What we need to do is work on a plan. If Damon can pull Stefan away and reason with him, maybe Klaus will be the only one you two will have to deal with."

"Fine. You can try that," Faith said.

"Willow will probably be joining us once she tracks his location. She'll be our biggest advantage," Buffy said.

"We are hours from Mystic Falls. If we're close to Klaus, it'll all be over by the time she drives here," Damon said with a frown.

"You're assuming she needs a car," Faith said with a smug grin.

When both men's mouths fell slightly open in surprise and confusion, the girls laughed. "Willow isn't like other girls. She's a witch," Buffy said.

"We know she's a witch. We know witches. I've known lots. They all still need to drive to get anywhere. I've never seen any broomsticks lying around anywhere," Damon said sarcastically.

"Don't be ridiculous! She doesn't use a broomstick," Buffy assured them.

"Well, that's a relief," Damon said sourly.

"She teleports," Buffy proudly informed them.

Damon blinked and looked at Rick who looked equally flabbergasted.

****** _Back in Mystic Falls******_

Elena had led Giles and Willow to the Salvatores' home. Willow had explained she'd have an easier time getting Stefan's location if they were surrounded by his things. Bonnie, Caroline, and Dawn were there. Dawn was exploring the mansion. There weren't any old Tudor style mansions where she grew up. Caroline was with her.

"So exactly how strong are your sister and Willow?" Caroline asked as they were wandering around in the second floor of the house.

"Well, Buffy, Giles, Xander, and Willow have saved the world several times," Dawn shared in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're kidding?" Caroline wondered with wide eyes.

"No, I'm not. There is nothing Buffy won't do to save people. She'll even die," Dawn said.

"Really?" Caroline asked.

Dawn stopped walking and turned to her. "Well, I'm not exactly what I appear to be," she confessed. She really wanted some friends that were her own and not Buffy's. Caroline was someone she really liked, and she wanted her to know who she was.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked.

"I used to be a big ball of energy that was a key to another dimension. A hell dimension to be exact. About four years ago, a hell god was looking for the key to open up hell here on earth when some monks fashioned me and sent me to Buffy in the form of a sister. They changed reality, so everyone in Buffy's world had memories of me as if I had always been here as her sister," Dawn revealed.

Caroline was taken aback. "What do you mean they fashioned you? How did they do that?" she asked.

"I'm not sure exactly. They were very powerful. There are different levels of magic. Buffy figured out that they used her blood to make me. Summer's blood she called it," Dawn said, her eyes getting a faraway look as she recalled the worse day of her life.

"This seems really unbelievable!" Caroline said in amazement.

"Glory, the hell god, succeeded in using my blood to open up the hell dimension," Dawn said grimly. "Buffy got to me too late. The portal was open. The only way to close it was if I jumped. My blood opened the portal, so my blood would close it."

"Oh my God!" Caroline said in horror. "Did you jump? What happened?"

"Buffy figured out that our blood was the same. The monks fashioned me out of her. Her blood is the same as mine. In essence, we are really sisters. So she jumped in my place," Dawn said quietly.

"What?" Caroline gasped.

"Buffy died so that the hell dimension would close and the world would be saved. But unlike the first time she died, she wasn't revived. She was really dead. We buried her and everything," Dawn said.

"Okay, I need to sit down," Caroline said. She went to the closest room that happened to be Stefan's and sat on the bed.

"If your sister was dead and buried, how in the hell is she alive now?" Caroline asked.

"Willow. Willow, Anya, Tara, and Xander worked some very powerful magic and brought her back. Willow couldn't stand the thought of her soul being trapped in some hell dimension," Dawn said flatly.

Caroline's mind was reeling. Willow was so powerful that she could literally raise the dead. "How long had she been dead?" she asked.

"Over four months. The thing is they forgot to dig up the coffin before they did the spell. She had to claw her way out of the coffin. Her hands were bloody," Dawn shared, her eyes pained as she remembered finding Buffy, half wild and bloody.

"That's horrible!" Caroline said.

"Yes, it was. But that's not the horrible part," Dawn said. "Buffy wasn't the same when she came back. We thought it was just the horror of what she'd been through, but it wasn't. It was the horror of being pulled out of heaven and brought back to fight demons and vampires."

"She was in heaven? Willow yanked her out of heaven?" Caroline asked. "This is so unbelievable! And I thought _our_ life was too exciting!"

"Yes, it was pretty awful when we found out. But now Buffy is stronger and more powerful and focused than ever before," Dawn shared.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the weight of her confession weighing heavily on them both. Finally, Caroline said, "It must be pretty amazing to have someone love you so much."

Dawn smiled. "Most of the time. But it can also be very burdensome. Can you imagine having a sister like that? How can you measure up? What am I really in comparison?" Dawn wondered.

"A very lucky and well protected girl!" Caroline declared with a smile.

Dawn laughed. "True. So you see what I mean about Willow? She's not like Bonnie. I'm not sure there's anything she can't do if she puts her mind to it," Dawn said.

"I'm glad she's on our side," Caroline said.

"Me, too," she said.

"So you're like four years old!" Caroline teased.

Dawn laughed. "I suppose so!" she said. "I look good for a four year old, huh?"

"Damn good!" Caroline declared with a wide grin.

"So whose room is this?" Dawn inquired, looking around.

"Stefan's," Caroline said.

Dawn got up and started looking around. She picked up the journal on the desk. "He journals? I do that!" Dawn said.

"I guess when you live for so long it's probably a good idea to start writing things down," Caroline said.

"We should take one of these to Willow. It may help. What could be more personal than a journal?" Dawn pointed out.

"True," she agreed, getting off the bed. Before they went through the door, Caroline reached out and squeezed Dawn's hand. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Thanks. I'm glad, too," Dawn said smiling.

They made it down to the main room where everyone else was at. "Willow, I have one of Stefan's journals. Do you think it will help?" Dawn asked.

"Probably," she said. She took the offered book.

Caroline went over to Bonnie and Elena who were flipping through some books Giles had given them. "I really think you can relax, Elena. Stefan is going to be fine," Caroline assured them.

"Why are you so sure?" Elena asked.

"Because Dawn just told me exactly how powerful Willow is," Caroline said dramatically.

"How powerful is she?" Elena asked.

"Powerful enough to raise the dead," Caroline said. When they didn't look too impressed, Caroline added, "Not like what Bonnie did to Jeremy. Dawn told me that four years ago Buffy died for her by closing some hell portal. She was dead and buried for months. Willow and her friends brought her back."

"God!" Elena exclaimed in awe.

"That would take some very dark magic," Bonnie said. "Those kinds of magics are never good."

"Well, I guess Willow would know. She did sort of flip out on Jeremy earlier and go on about the consequences of being brought back by magic. She knows firsthand," Caroline pointed out. "She must've learned the hard way."

"Is she dangerous? Should we be worried?" Elena asked anxiously.

"Yes, she's dangerous, and it's Klaus that should be worried," Bonnie said with conviction.

"We're so going to kick his original ass!" Caroline said happily.

***** _Klaus and Stefan*****_

Klaus and Stefan had left the swamplands a few hours earlier and were heading back north. Klaus was in a rage. Stefan was being careful not to draw his ire. The werewolves they had encountered had went crazy and had to be put down again. Klaus's frustration was driving him to a boiling point.

"There has to be something I'm missing. We did something wrong!" Klaus declared in frustration.

Stefan took his eyes off the highway and glanced over at Klaus. "You studied the ritual for a few hundred years. How could you miss anything?" he asked.

"I couldn't have. But something is wrong! There's got to be a reason it's not working. It should work!" Klaus declared angrily.

Stefan's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He was starting to have a nagging suspicion that Elena not staying dead was part of the problem. Klaus could never find out that Elena was alive. If Stefan couldn't be with her, he would make sure that Klaus never had a reason to go back to Mystic Falls. Damon would watch out for Elena. He loved her, and he would protect her with his life. Stefan drew comfort from that thought. Stefan staying away from them was the best way to protect them both. Klaus would never let him go. This was his life now. He may as well accept it.

***** _Chapter End*****_


	8. Getting Into Position

****** _The Next Day******_

Damon and Alaric had gotten a room at the same hotel as Buffy and Faith. They agreed to meet up in the morning and discuss a more specific plan. They were hoping Willow would be able to pinpoint Stefan's location by then. Neither man was exactly sure how to handle the two powerful women who didn't play by the rules they did.

"So do you buy all that bragging Buffy was doing last night? Killing a hell god and the First Evil-whatever that means. Who talks like that?" Damon scoffed as they were getting dressed.

"But you believe the part about her killing the man she loves?" Alaric asked with a smile.

"Well, sure. _That_ I believe! The guy probably pissed her off!" Damon said with a smirk.

"She doesn't strike me as a woman who needs to make up stuff. It's obvious that she's led a very different life than even you," Alaric said sagely. He found her utterly fascinating and was a bit disconcerted by that fact.

"Do you think all slayers are as hot as the two of them? All that fire and energy. I bet that are a lot of fun in the sack!" he said with relish.

"Like you'll ever find out!" Alaric told him.

"Sure I could. I bet if I put my mind to it I could have Buffy eating out of my hands," Damon bragged.

Alaric laughed in disbelief. "I really can't see that, but you go ahead and try. I'll buy tickets to the show. If she stakes you, you can't say you weren't warned!" he exclaimed.

"Nah, she won't stake me. I'm the good guy now, remember?" Damon said grinning.

"What about Elena?" Alaric asked. "Doesn't she require all your energy these days?" He wasn't sure why it bugged him so much to think of Damon making a serious play for the slayer even though he didn't really think Damon had a chance.

"What about her? She's told me more than once she loves Stefan. It's always going to _be_ Stefan. You don't want her to be with me. Neither does anyone else. If Katherine taught me anything, it's to not waste my time one someone who is never going to love me," Damon said grimly, his eyes hard.

Alaric frowned, feeling a flash of guilt. He knew that Damon loved Elena, but he didn't feel Elena was ready for Damon. She still believed in romance and happily ever after. Damon was too jaded and cynical, too impulsive. Elena deserved the knight she wanted. If it couldn't be Stefan, then it would be someone else. He just didn't believe it would ever be Damon. "I'm sorry, buddy. I know you love her, but I just don't think it's meant to be. Humans and vampires don't work well in the love and romance department. Isobel understood that. And a part of me is grateful that she walked away from me rather than put me in the position Stefan has put Elena in. Elena deserves a normal life," Alaric said. He owed it to Jenna to make sure she had it. As long as she was in love with a vampire, however, she would never have a normal life.

"Elena deserves to be happy. If loving a vampire makes her happy, then that's her choice, Rick," Damon said flatly. He should be glad that Alaric didn't want her with Stefan all that much either, but he wasn't. Rick was his closest friend and Elena's guardian. It would've been nice if Rick were on his side. But he knew that he didn't deserve that and probably never would.

"Let's not argue about that now. Do you think Stefan will be convinced to come home with you?" Rick asked.

"He's coming even if I have to knock him out and drag him back home," Damon said resolutely.

There was a knock on their door. Rick opened it. It was the slayers. Buffy had her long hair pulled back, obviously ready for battle. Faith, on the other hand, looked like she was out for a morning stroll. "Will called. She finally was able to pinpoint Stefan's location," Buffy shared.

Rick stepped back and let them in. Damon got up and said, "Where is he?"

"About 30 miles from here," Buffy said. "We'll scout out the approximate location and find out how many people we're dealing with."

" _Scout_? What are you like a super soldier or something?" Damon asked dismissively. "There's no need to scout out anything. We go. We spot Stefan. I grab him and take him away. The end."

Faith snickered and didn't comment. She knew that Buffy would soon put the arrogant vamp in his place, and she couldn't wait!

Buffy took a step toward Damon until she was standing right in front of him. Her lips were curled with derision. "Listen, pretty boy. I'm in charge here! Not you! I don't live my days patrolling for babes and a pint of blood and booze. I _am,_ for the most part, a super soldier. The best one you'll ever meet. I don't waste time, energy, or lives going off half-cocked. We assess. We make a plan. Then we execute the plan. That's the way it's going to be. If you can't fall in line, then you can stay here twiddling your thumbs. I don't care. It's _my_ way or no way. Got it?" Buffy said pointedly.

"No, I don't. I don't need any more cute little girls telling me what to do!" Damon said sourly.

"Ah, you got a little girlfriend that likes to boss you around?" Faith asked with a wicked grin.

Buffy grinned. "He thinks I'm cute!" Buffy gushed. Then she smirked. "Too bad I don't care what you think. We are going to scout out the danger before busting in guns a blazin'."

"You use a gun?" Damon asked in surprise.

Buffy looked frustrated and put her hand on her hip. "I'm done talking. Fall in line or be left behind. We're leaving in an hour after we get the tire fixed," she said. Then she turned to leave.

Faith stood in the door and flashed him a smug look. "It's best to not argue with B. I had to learn the hard way, so will you," Faith advised. "Take it from me. Her way is always better. Not always as much fun. But better!" She gave them a wicked grin and left.

"You'll never learn, will you?" Alaric asked with a sigh.

"Excuse me if I don't just jump when the cute, perky looking slayer tells me to!" Damon said in a huff.

"She is right. There's no sense in just running into wherever Stefan is at and get me killed!" Alaric pointed out. "You always think I'm safe because of this ring. But what if Klaus decides to rip off my head? Think I'll come back from that?"

Damon frowned. He'd never considered that. "Fine. I'll behave. For now," Damon said.

"It won't kill you," Rick said.

"It might," Damon said. "Then how will you feel?"

Rick shook his head. "You're being ridiculous. Let's go get some breakfast. I'm hungry," Rick said. He grabbed his bag. "We should go ahead and check out."

Damon nodded and grabbed his own and the keys. "I hope this will be over soon," Damon said.

"It will be," Rick said. He patted him on the shoulder. He hoped it would be anyway.

***** _Back In Mystic Falls*****_

Elena had fallen asleep on the Salvatores' couch. She awoke to a lot of activity in the room. "What's going on?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"We got him!" Bonnie said excitedly. "Willow finally broke through whatever barrier Klaus had around them. We have their location. Willow is talking to Buffy and Faith now."

"Faith? Remind me who she is again?" Elena asked.

"Faith is another slayer. Dawn calls her the dark slayer," Bonnie said. "When Buffy died for a few minutes her sophomore year-she was drowned by a vampire-another slayer was called. When that slayer was killed, Faith was called."

"Slayers live a dangerous life, don't they?" Elena observed.

"Giles said most don't live past sixteen. Buffy has lasted the longest. Faith is a year or so older than her, and she was called up at a later age. Buffy became a slayer at fifteen," Bonnie said.

"Fifteen? I can't imagine that. Our life became insane at sixteen, but it was more about survival, not seeking out danger," Elena said.

"Yeah, they basically do nothing but battle evil from what I can tell. Sunnydale was on a hellmouth and attracted all kinds of evil things. Willow said part of the reason Buffy has survived so long is because she went against custom. She brought them into her world to help fight. She wasn't alone. Most slayers fight alone. Or all used to before Buffy and Willow changed everything," Bonnie shared.

"I couldn't imagine going through what I've went through without you," Elena said, reaching over and squeezing her hand. "Are you going to go with Willow?"

"Yes. We're going to leave shortly," Bonnie said a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"Are you sure you can get there in time? They have to be hours away from here," Elena said doubtfully.

"Elena, Willow can teleport," Bonnie revealed.

"What? Teleport? What does that mean exactly?" Elena asked with a frown.

"She uses magic to travel from one place to another. And she says she can bring me, too," Bonnie said. She was both excited and nervous about the prospect.

Elena straightened up and looked anxious. "Are you sure about that? We don't know these people, Bonnie. We don't really know what they're capable of or how dangerous teleporting is," Elena pointed out.

"Look, Elena, you got to trust me. Willow is someone I can trust. My Grams wouldn't have told me to trust her if she wasn't someone I could count on," Bonnie said firmly. "You didn't see her face, Elena. She was so _relieved_ that Willow was here. More importantly, she trusted Willow, and she told me to trust her, too. And her friends."

"But they're vampire slayers, Bonnie. What if they kill Stefan and Damon?" Elena asked, upset at the thought.

"They really seem to get that the vampires we know aren't like the ones they're used to battling, Elena. I don't think they'll slay Damon and Stefan," Bonnie said.

"Promise me, Bonnie, that you won't let them kill Damon or Stefan. Promise me!" Elena begged.

Bonnie couldn't find it in her to refuse her best friend. Although she barely tolerated Damon, she knew that Stefan was a good person. He was worth saving. "I'll do my best. I promise," she replied.

"Both of them," Elena said pointedly.

Bonnie nodded. She really would try. However, she knew that she was out of her league with Willow and probably the slayers. She no longer had the power she used to have, but she would do her best to keep her promise.

***** _Buffy and Company*****_

They drove to a secluded house surrounded by trees. "Are you ready, Faith?" Buffy asked.

"As I'll ever be. I'm not convinced that this Klaus fellow is indestructible. We've heard that before," Faith said with derision.

"I know," Buffy grinned. They got out of the car. Damon and Alaric parked next to them. Buffy went to the trunk to get out weapons. The guys joined them.

"So you got a grenade launcher in there or what?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Nah. Too flashy. Used one of those once. It was fun," Buffy replied with a coy smile.

Damon blinked, not expecting her reply. His eyes widened when she pulled out her weapon of choice.

"Oh my God!" Rick exclaimed in awe as he looked at the ax that wasn't like any he'd ever seen before. The large axe blade was a glistening silver with a deep red inner blade color, the lower end of the blade had a pointed hook, and the opposite end of the handle ended in a wooden stake. "Wow! What is that?"

"It's a scythe. A mystical one. It can kill a vampire in more than one way. The weapon of the slayer. It's not just a scythe though. It's got power of its own. It's what Willow used to turn all potential slayers in the world into slayers," Buffy shared. She handed it to Rick to examine.

He was blown away by the elegance and symmetry of the weapon. "I've never seen anything like it!" he said.

"Nor will you. There is nothing else like it," Buffy said. She smiled as he swung it around. He was very cute. He gave it back with a sheepish grin.

"You have great toys," Alaric said.

"Oooh! Naughty!" Damon couldn't resist saying. He smirked at Alaric who really wanted to pop him one.

Buffy laughed. They both were very cute. Too bad Damon knew how cute he was. Made him a bit less attractive to her.

"Let's see Klaus survive a beheading," Faith said with an arrogant smirk.

"Wait a minute! What do you mean it turned slayers into slayers?" Damon asked as he replayed what Buffy had just revealed in her statement. "You mean there's more of you out there?"

Faith chuckled. "More than you can imagine. More all the time. Willow unleashed something that the world has never known. Buffy decided that a bunch of men ages ago didn't have the right to decide that there's just _one_ chosen one. We're not alone anymore in our fight," Faith shared, the satisfaction evident in her voice..

"I have an army. An army that grows larger as we speak. Klaus may be the biggest baddest thing you've ever faced, but trust me when I say we can handle him," Buffy said confidently.

Damon and Alaric exchanged looks. Alaric was excited at the possibilities of being a part of such organized power. Damon, on the other hand, was torn. He couldn't imagine that an army of vampire slayers was a good thing for him or his brother. However, he did know he couldn't kill Klaus on his own. So he'd have to take whatever help he could get. Then when Klaus was dead, he'd work on figuring out how to prevent his hometown from being invaded by an entire army of slayers.

All of a sudden they were all knocked back by a wave of energy. Dust and air blew in their faces. Damon held up his arm to shield his face from the debris.

Suddenly in the midst of them, Willow and Bonnie appeared. One minute they weren't there; the next they were. "What the hell?" Rick asked in alarm. He jumped back.

It took all Damon's control not to join him. Bonnie grinned excitedly. "That was so cool!" she exclaimed as she let go of Willow's hand.

"You weren't kidding," Damon said to Buffy.

"Nope. So if Klaus gets past me and Faith, he won't get past Willow," Buffy said confidently.

She hugged Willow. "Thanks for coming," Buffy said. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Bonnie. She's a witch, too," Willow said happily. "Bonnie, this is Buffy and that is Faith."

"Hey," Faith said with a smile.

"Very nice to meet you, Bonnie," Buffy said.

Bonnie gave her a small smile, feeling a bit intimidated for the first time. The two slayers exuded power and strength in a way that Willow didn't. Willow mostly appeared harmless unless you were someone who could sense such things. The two slayers, however, had energy that came off them in waves. How anyone could mistake them for simple girls was incomprehensible to her.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Bonnie said. She looked over at Rick and Damon, glad to see two familiar faces.

"Look at you! Getting your witch on!" Damon teased.

"Willow said she can teach me how to do it on my own!" Bonnie said so excited that she didn't care that it was Damon.

"Very cool," Damon said, suitably impressed.

"So have you spotted the targets?" Willow asked.

"Tar _get_ as in _one!_ " Damon reminded them pointedly.

"I was just about to send Damon here to scout out the perimeter," Buffy said, giving him a small smile.

Damon just knew when he was being baited, and he wasn't going to be made to look foolish in front of Bonnie by antagonizing the slayer. There was no telling what the woman would do, so he just nodded. "I'll be right back," he said.

He quickly made it to the back of the house. He saw movement inside. It was Stefan. He bent down and picked up a small pebble and threw it lightly at the window. Stefan glanced up and spotted his brother. He frowned. What was Damon doing here? Klaus was reading a book, not paying attention. Stefan said, "I'm going to get some air."

Klaus waved a hand dismissively, not looking up.

Damon went behind a tree to wait for Stefan. "What are you doing here, Damon?" Stefan asked when he appeared next to him.

Damon looked his brother over, checking for signs of distress. Relieved that his brother was unharmed, he said, "Hello, brother."

The two brothers stared wordlessly at one another, words unnecessary for a brief moment as the bonds of blood and brotherhood rose up to bind them together. Then Stefan stepped back, breaking the connection. "You can't be here, Damon. You have to leave!" he ordered with a concerned frown.

Faith suddenly appeared. "That's _so_ not going to happen!" she warned, giving Stefan a wicked grin. "Hello, lover," she said to him.

Damon's mouth fell open in surprise. "Lover?" he asked in disbelief.

Stefan barely registered his brother as his eyes took in the sight of the woman he had been with so briefly but so memorably. His heart raced in excitement, Klaus and his brother momentarily forgotten. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"After I beat you senseless, we're taking you home," Faith said, surprising him.

"What?" he asked, looking questioningly at Damon.

"You've missed a lot, brother," Damon said. "Let me fill you in."


	9. The Showdown

****** _Same time, same place******_

"I don't have time to be filled in," Stefan replied, pulling his eyes away from Faith. "Klaus is just inside. I can't stay out here long or he'll notice."

"You're headless carousing days are over," Faith said. "Time to come home."

"I can't," Stefan said flatly. He looked at Damon. "I had to go with Klaus. It was the only way to get your cure."

"Well, I'm cured, so let's go," Damon said.

"Klaus won't just let me go. We had a deal. Besides, he can't know Elena's alive. He's not having any luck getting the wolves to turn into hybrids. He's getting angry and is starting to ask questions. I'm beginning to think that Elena not being dead is the reason," Stefan revealed.

"And if he finds out Elena's alive, he'll kill her," Damon said, following his brother's train of thought.

"Exactly," Stefan said.

" _Guys, what's the hold up? How many men does Klaus have?"_ Willow's thoughts were projected in Faith and Damon's head.

Damon's eyes narrowed in alarm. "She can read minds, too?" he asked Faith.

"No, not exactly. She can communicate telepathically when she needs to, though," Faith said. She looked at Stefan and asked. "Is it just you and Klaus here?"

He nodded. "I'll be right back," Faith said and left to let Willow and Buffy know.

"So why are you with that girl?" Stefan asked his brother.

"She's a super, freaky, strong mystically empowered vampire slayer with an equally strong vampire slayer partner supposedly backed by an entire army of slayers and supported by Willow the super-witch," Damon glibly informed him.

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "You've been making new friends, brother," Stefan observed in surprise.

"We're not as close as _you_ apparently. What did she mean by calling you lover?" Damon asked with a smirk.

Stefan looked embarrassed and broke eye contact. Damon laughed. "You slept with her? A vampire slayer? You really have lost it, brother!" Damon exclaimed. Then he sobered. "What about Elena?"

Stefan flashed him a guilty look. "I don't know what happened. Klaus told me to forget about her for one night and have fun. And Faith, well, she's so," his voice trailed off. How did he explain what he didn't know how to put in words?

"Hot?" Damon suggested with a smirk.

Stefan couldn't hide a sheepish smile. "She's incredible," he admitted.

"Did you try to bite her? She's still pretty pissed," Damon said.

"What's your brother doing here, Stefan?" Klaus asked, suddenly appearing next to them.

"I came to take my brother home," Damon said. "Thanks for the blood and saving my life. You've had your summer of fun with him. Now I want my brother back. You have your own brother. And where is Elijah at anyway?"

"Like I could trust him after he almost killed me," Klaus said disapprovingly. "And your brother and I have a deal. He's mine for the foreseeable future."

"Well, we're going to have to renegotiate his terms," Damon said.

"I don't think so," Klaus said with a slight shake of his head.

"I'm going to have to agree with the pretty boy here. Stefan is coming with us," Buffy said as she appeared with Faith. Willow and Bonnie were a few feet behind them. Willow was holding the scythe.

Klaus smiled, delighted to see her once again. "Anne? Fancy seeing you here, love," Klaus said.

"My name's Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Buffy shared. Without waiting for a reply, she pulled back and hit him in the face with such force that he stumbled back. "And I'm here to kill you."

Klaus grabbed his face in his hand. The girl had definitely been holding back when she'd hit him in the club. "I don't like to hurt women," Klaus said with a frown.

"You killed Elena, her aunt, and Jules," Stefan reminded him.

"Their deaths were painless," Klaus replied.

"Death is never painless. Believe me, I know," Buffy said grimly. "We're taking Stefan, and you are going to go away or die. Those are your choices."

"Now that doesn't seem very sporting of you. We are just getting to know one another. And Stefan here isn't going anywhere until I'm done with him," Klaus said. He didn't seem at all concerned.

Buffy gave a casual shrug. "Fine. Die," she said. She looked back at Willow, who tossed her the scythe. She swung it at Klaus's head. He barely missed dodging it.

His eyes widened in disbelief. No one had ever dared so much. Both rage and admiration filled him. However, when she took another swing at him, the rage took over. He attacked.

Buffy was forced back as Klaus charged her, knocking back her attempts. She swung the wood end of the scythe and hit him hard. As they were exchanging blows, Damon came up behind him and swept his feet out from under him. Buffy moved until the blade was resting on his neck. She looked down triumphantly at him. "Any final words?" she asked.

Klaus smirked. "Do you think I've survived over a thousand years by allowing myself to be caught off guard?" he asked.

Suddenly, people came out of the trees. Three women were speaking in Latin obviously casting a spell. Willow and Bonnie turned. Willow grabbed Bonnie's hand, linking them. Then she cast her own spell and raised her hand, white lightening flew from her hands and knocked the women back.

"I have my own witch, and she's much better than any you could have," Buffy said smugly. Then she was hit hard by a body that knocked her to the ground, the scythe went flying.

Vampires Klaus had left at a nearby house surrounded them. He had spotted Damon outside talking to Stefan and wasn't taking any chances. He had learned a long time ago that it was always better to be over prepared than under. And his preparation had paid off. They had arrived just in time. He quickly got to his feet as the other slayer Faith charged him.

Stefan found himself unsure. Going against Klaus could get his brother and Elena killed. However, the people Damon had brought with them were very strong. He watched Buffy as she staked a vampire and beheaded another in a mere minute with the blade she twirled. Then she tossed it to Faith, who grabbed it out of the air and swung it at Klaus. Suddenly, Stefan grew concerned. Klaus would kill Faith. She may be strong, but no one ever lived who went against Klaus. Stefan moved to stand next to Klaus. "Let me handle her," Stefan said to Klaus.

Klaus grinned. "Handle her all you want," he said grinning at his innuendo. He stepped back and watched Buffy as she moved effortlessly against three of his vampires. She dodged, she punched, she kicked, and she even flipped over while taking one down with a choke hold. Klaus had never seen a woman fight so magnificently. It made him miss his sister. He'd love to see the two blonde goddesses go a round or two. However, it'd be a shame to kill such a unique creature. His sister wasn't known for her mercy. Since the slayer was human, it was inevitable that she'd lose.

He saw the new redheaded witch standing next to the Bennett witch. The girl must have cast some type of invulnerability spell over herself because she was engaging in fisticuffs with one of his vampires. And she was winning. Klaus frowned as two more of his vampires were staked and fell to the ground. He glanced at Stefan and the other slayer. The two of them were talking and not fighting. Klaus didn't think Stefan had it in him to hurt the beautiful but deadly woman. He sighed. He'd had such hope for Stefan. Then he shrugged. Oh well. He did have three of his own brothers. Maybe it was time to quit running from his family. If the Salvatores could rebuild the bonds of brotherhood between them, then surely he could do the same with his own. Turning away from the fray, he slipped quietly away.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me or what?" Faith asked Stefan.

"I just can't believe you're here with Damon," Stefan said.

"I'm not _with_ Damon. Your brother is an arrogant ass, but unlike you, he hasn't tried to bite me!" Faith said. She moved toward him ready to slug him when suddenly she fell to the round in agony.

Stefan stepped forward in concern. Then he looked and saw Bonnie standing nearby with the familiar look on her face. "Bonnie! Stop!" he yelled.

"I promised Elena I wouldn't let her kill you," Bonnie replied.

"She's human. You will kill her! Stop!" Stefan ordered.

Bonnie stopped. Buffy cut the head off the remaining vampire and turned to Faith, who was on the ground at Stefan's feet. She charged toward him. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"It wasn't me! It was Bonnie," Stefan said.

Damon came up to them. "Bonnie likes to give vamps aneurysms. It's a favorite hobby of hers," Damon said grimly.

Buffy glared at Bonnie. "My mother died of an aneurysm! If Faith dies, I may have to rethink my policy of not killing humans!" Buffy warned.

Willow came up to them. "Why are you threatening Bonnie?" she asked in concern.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to kill her. Just keep her from killing Stefan. I promised Elena that I would protect him," Bonnie explained.

Faith looked up, her vision blurry. "What the hell was that?" she asked. Her skull was throbbing.

"Bonnie thought you were going to kill me," Stefan said. "I'm sorry." He held out her hand and pulled her to her feet.

Faith's eyes focused on Bonnie. "You almost killed me!" she accused.

"Sorry. I was trying to keep you from killing Stefan," Bonnie said contritely.

"I wasn't planning on killing him. Just give him a beat down," Faith replied. She stepped toward Bonnie. "Like the one I'm going to give you." Before anyone could react, she swung and punched Bonnie hard in the face knocking her to the ground.

"Faith!" Willow yelled.

"She almost killed me, Will! Teach your friend some manners or I will," Faith warned as she gave the prone Bonnie a glare.

Willow frown in disapproval and bent down to check on Bonnie.

"Where's Klaus?" Damon asked as he looked around. Two of the witches Willow had put down were stirring, but there was no sign of Klaus.

Alaric appeared. Damon had made him stay with the car. He hadn't been happy about it, but since he hadn't brought any of his hunter weapons, he'd reluctantly agreed. He hadn't relished the thought of looking helpless in front of Buffy. "I saw someone slipping off. It must have been Klaus," Alaric shared.

"The little weasel ran off! I can't believe it!" Damon exclaimed.

"He must've decided to find a new strategy," Alaric observed.

"I can't believe he left without me," Stefan said with a frown.

"Do you have a rendezvous point planned to meet up with him later?" Buffy asked.

Stefan shook his head. "No," he said.

"Well, you're coming home. You have a girl there who's having an eighteenth birthday party and is too worried about you to be excited," Damon shared.

"You have a girlfriend?" Faith asked incredulous.

"Sort of," Stefan admitted.

Bonnie's face was throbbing but her hearing was just fine. She couldn't believe Stefan wasn't declaring his devotion to Elena. "What do you mean _sort of_?" Bonnie asked. "I thought you loved Elena? She's been worried sick about you!"

"I do love Elena," Stefan replied. "But she and I are over."

"Why is that?" Bonnie asked.

"Look, let's just get you home," Damon interjected. He gave Bonnie a pointed look. "You can sort things out with our girl when you see her. I'm sure she'll want to hear all about the new friend you made." Stefan couldn't hold his gaze and looked away in shame.

"He and I aren't friends," Faith said with a smirk. "My friends don't go around biting me!"

"Here she goes again!" Damon said dramatically. "What's a little biting between friends?"

"Like I let you feed on me!" Alaric scoffed.

"You'd probably like it too much," Damon teased.

"I can see we've fallen into a real bad crowd here, B," Faith said grinning.

"The forces of darkness must tremble at their feet," Buffy said dryly. She looked over at Bonnie who was standing off to the side looking upset. She walked over to her and touched her shoulder gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," Bonnie said.

"You can't go using your powers against foes stronger than you unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences," Buffy said. "We have accelerated healing, but we can die easily. All it takes is one moment of being caught off guard. Faith and I are the two oldest and strongest slayers in slayer history. We take our survival very seriously."

"I thought she was going to kill Stefan," Bonnie said defensively.

"Well, you can't always be too sure with Faith, but that wasn't our plan. Unless he was going to kill her, she wouldn't have," Buffy said. "And just to be clear, if it came down to a choice between Faith or Stefan, I'd choose Faith. Do you understand what that means?"

Bonnie nodded, feeling sick. She really felt out of her depth. "Elena's my best friend, and she loves Stefan," she said weakly. Too many times her friendship with Elena had put her in this position. She couldn't help but resent it some.

"I understand the bonds of friendship. I'll make it clear to your friend," Buffy said. She reached out and squeezed her hand. "It'll be okay."

"So what's the plan?" Willow asked.

"We head back home," Damon said.

"Klaus will come after me. And after Elena if he finds out she's alive," Stefan said.

"I hope so," Buffy said with a grin. "I very much hope so."

****** _Several Hours Later_ ******

Klaus stood in the storage where he had hidden his family. He looked over at their closed coffins. He was both excited and dreading what he was going to do. He did miss them, each and every one. Unfortunately, all but Rebekah he'd staked out of anger. They'd deserved it, and he wasn't sorry. However, he needed them now. He walked over to his sister's coffin and opened the lid. His beautiful Rebekah had been frozen for almost eighty years. She would be the most hurt and the quickest to forgive, so he'd start with her.

He reached out and removed her dagger.

****** _To Be Continued_ ******

_Some MANY episodes of VD do I wished someone would slap Bonnie! Finally, it happened! LOL! Please review and make me happier!_


	10. Back in Mystic Falls

****** _A Few Hours Later_ ******

Elena couldn't believe it when Damon came home with his brother a step behind him. She was so focused on Stefan that she failed to notice anyone else. "Stefan!" she exclaimed joyfully. She ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"Yes, I'm fine, Elena. Thanks for asking," Damon said sarcastically. He headed to pour a drink. "Drink anyone?"

"Most definitely," Faith said looking around at the museum like place the two vamps lived in. She felt very much out of place.

"I see you two are okay and Stefan came back. Any problems?" Giles asked. He noticed that Bonnie looked a bit worse for wear.

"Just a witch who needs to learn her place," Faith said sullenly. She headed straight to the booze, ignoring Damon's offering and poured her own drink.

"I'm okay," Bonnie said. She sat down on an empty chair.

Buffy threw herself down on the couch. "Nice digs," she said to Damon.

He smirked. "Isn't it?" he said. "We are a founding family. Must keep up appearances."

"What happened?" Giles asked.

"Klaus had a bunch of vamps hidden and ambushed us as we were trying to ambush him," Buffy said. "Where's Dawn?"

"She went to bring back some food with Caroline," Giles said.

"Good. I'm starved," Buffy said.

"Giles, this is Damon Salvatore and Alaric Saltzman. Alaric is a history teacher and vampire hunter," Willow said smiling. She knew the two would get along very well.

"Oh, really? How fascinating! I'm Rupert Giles. Pleasure to meet you," Giles said holding out his hand to Alaric.

"Yes. Same here," Alaric said as he shook his hand.

Giles looked at Damon and said, "You have a fascinating collection of books here. I hope you don't mind me going through them."

"Giles can't help it. Books are his thing," Buffy said, giving him a fond look.

"So what's your position with the super freaks?" Damon asked.

"Hey, we're not freaks!" Buffy protested.

"You look like a Barbie doll and are freakishly strong. Your friend looks like sex on a stick and can survive a brain aneurysm," Damon pointed out.

"Aneurysm?" Giles asked.

"Bonnie thought Faith was going to kill Stefan and promised her friend Elena she'd protect him," Buffy said, turning her gaze to the strikingly beautiful girl currently clinging to Stefan. "You must be Elena."

Elena waved. "Hi," she said, giving them a friendly smile.

Buffy got up. "I'm Buffy. That's Faith," she said pointing to Faith who was chugging back a drink and casting Stefan dark looks. "We are vampire slayers, but we kill anyone or anything that is supernatural and is killing humans. Our job is to safe guard humanity. If your boyfriend thinks he can go around leaving bodies all over the place, he will die. And if you ask your friend to interfere again, you will get her killed or at the very least seriously hurt. Do I make myself clear?"

"Back off!" Stefan ordered.

"No, I won't. Bonnie could've killed Faith. I take that very personally," Buffy said, eyes blazing. She stepped in front of Elena.

"B, I'm flattered! You're going all big sis on me," Faith said with a smirk. She put down her drink and moved to stand next to Buffy. She looked at Stefan, who was unable to hold her gaze. "You're going to have to pick a side. You're either our friend or your our enemy."

"Friend!" Alaric interjected quickly before things escalated. "We all want the same things. We can learn from each other and work together."

"He's right. In-fighting is never good," Giles said in agreement. "Bonnie is young. You two did many a foolish thing when you were her age. As did Willow." He gave them all a pointed look.

Buffy smiled. "Yes, we're big on second chances," she agreed. She looked at Stefan. "I just need to know if you are going to get yourself under control or not."

Stefan looked grim but nodded. "That's the plan. I hate hurting people. Klaus forced me to drink human blood. I can't control myself when I'm on it," he admitted.

"What you need to do, brother, is learn some damn self-control and quit with this abstaining bull shit! Animal blood makes you weak. You can't protect Elena if you continue existing on it. Learn when to pull back from the edge," Damon said sternly.

"No, he doesn't, Damon! He was doing just fine without it," Elena said.

"Whatever," Damon said with an eye roll.

"Well, Damon has a point. If you're in danger of losing control anytime you drink human blood, you'll always be a threat to human life," Giles said.

"I used to have a problem with the magics," Willow shared. "I was like an out of control addict. I almost got Dawn killed, so I stayed away from all magic cold turkey. I thought that magic was the problem. However, magic wasn't the problem. _I_ was. And in the end, staying away almost killed all my friends because I fell off the wagon in a major way. When my girlfriend Tara died, I went on a rampage, using dark magic. I almost destroyed the world. Giles taught me control. Buffy's faith in me gave me the confidence I needed to use magic again. Now I make a conscience choice everyday not to go to that dark place."

"You just need to learn the same thing," Buffy said to Stephan. "Faith's had her problems, too, and has learned control."

"See, Elena, not every idea I have is wrong," Damon said with a bitter edge.

Buffy's eyebrow rose as she noticed the undercurrents between the brothers and Elena. Stefan obviously was tormented as he looked at his girlfriend. He kept sneaking looks at Faith, who was pretending he didn't exist. Damon was sneaking looks at Elena who had her arms around Stefan. _Ah oh. The love triangle is about to turn into a square,_ Buffy thought.

Dawn and Caroline arrived carrying bags and a few boxes of pizza. "Stefan!" Caroline said happily. She laid the food down and went to give him a hug. "I'm glad you're back!"

"It's good to see you, Caroline," Stefan said with a fond smile.

"This is Dawn," Caroline said, introducing them.

Dawn was hugging her sister. "This is Buffy, my sister. Buffy, this is Caroline, my friend. Caroline that's Faith. Caroline's a vampire."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at her sister's casual announcement but didn't comment. Faith gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"So did you kill Klaus?" Caroline asked eagerly.

"No. He ran off before Buffy could decapitate him with her shiny head-cutting tool," Damon said smartly.

"He obviously didn't trust Stefan or were you lying?" Faith asked Stefan. "You told us it was just you and Klaus there."

"It was. Klaus and I have been traveling with just the two of us," Stefan said. "I had no idea he had reinforcements so close."

"A vampire that old would probably never be so trusting," Giles said. "Did you fight him or did he just leave in the commotion?"

"Both. I had him on his back with the blade against his neck when I was tackled by one of his minions. Willow and Bonnie took care of the witches he had while Faith and I killed his vamps," Buffy shared.

"He was delighted to see Buffy," Damon shared with a smirk. "Said he didn't like hurting girls."

"Changed his mind after Buffy gave him a beating," Faith said with a snicker.

"So what were your impressions? Is he like the Master?" Giles asked.

"Not at all," Buffy said. "For one thing, he's got sexy dimples and doesn't give off the evil vibe. Reminded me of Spike actually."

Faith rolled her eyes. "You gotta get over your attraction to vampires, B!" she exclaimed.

"I wasn't attracted to him!" Buffy protested. "But I'm not blind. He's very cute and charming."

"I always kind of thought so," Caroline admitted with a blush.

"Stop, before you guys make me hurl!" Damon said in disgust. He couldn't believe they found that accented, original psycho at all appealing.

"Besides, Faith, you're the one that's _recently_ had a thing for vamps," Buffy said looking at Stefan. She decided it was better to get everything out in the open now, so it won't be distracting everyone at a later date.

Elena frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" Elena asked.

"Not much," Faith said, deciding to get pay back against Stefan in another way. "Just your boyfriend here gave me a nice little ride a few days ago when we met at a club in Atlanta. He didn't mention he had a girlfriend." She smirked at Stefan who was now glaring at her.

Elena pulled back and looked at Stefan. "What's she talking about Stefan?" she asked.

"Well, that's our cue to leave," Alaric said, getting up.

"We should go back to our place and makes some plans," Willow suggested.

"Our food will get cold," Dawn said, pointing to the food.

Stefan took Elena's hand and led her out of the room. "Problem solved," Damon said. He watched everyone dispense the food, trying not to worry about Elena and Stefan. He turned to Giles. "So are you in charge of this merry band of super heroes?"

Giles coughed, caught off guard. "Um, well, no. Once upon a time I was," he said sheepishly.

Buffy laughed. "Giles was my Watcher. The slayers have always had a Watcher that guided them and taught them. Giles got fired from the Watcher's Council because he loves me too much," Buffy teased, taking delight in watching Giles squirm.

"But they hired him back when they realized they were irrelevant without Buffy. She refused to work with anyone but Giles," Willow explained.

"You have a council, too?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, I wonder if some of your original founders were from England? They could've known about the Watcher's Council and formed a similar group here when the vampire threats became known," Giles speculated.

"The First blew up the Watcher's Council over a year ago," Buffy shared, her eyes growing dark.

"But we're working on forming a new one. Giles is in charge of that," Willow said.

"Buffy is the queen B," Faith said, smirking. "But we all work together. I chose to follow her most of the time. But she's not the boss of me!"

"I wish!" Buffy said with a grin. "Willow does her own thing most of the time, but she helps when I need her. Our best friend Xander is in charge of the slayerettes. He's basically a Watcher now. And two other friends work with them and on their training when Faith and I aren't around."

"So what exactly do you and your slayers do?" Alaric asked.

"Whatever needs to be done. There's still an active hellmouth here in the United States. In Ohio. And there's a few across the globe. I'm working on getting teams ready to be permanently stationed in those spots," Buffy shared.

"You probably should call Xander and have him send some girls here," Willow said. "Klaus will be coming around. And there's no telling what he'll do next."

"True," Buffy said.

******* _Upstairs in Stefan's Room_ *******

"Did you sleep with her, Stefan?" Elena asked pulling her hand out of his as soon as they made it to his room.

Stefan looked sad and ashamed, so she knew without him saying the words. He opened his mouth to explain when she pulled back and slapped him across the face. "How could you, Stefan? How? I thought you loved me!" she accused, her eyes filling with tears.

"I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, Elena. But it's really clear to me how much more you deserve," Stefan said. "I'm a killer, Elena. Do you get that? Screwing another woman shouldn't be surprising to you. It's the very least of my sins." He hated himself for hurting her further, but it was the only way. He had to push her away from him. He was no good for her; he never would be.

"Did you enjoy yourself? Was it fun?" she asked waspishly.

"Actually I did. Klaus compelled me to forget about you for one night and to have fun. Having sex with Faith was the result. I'm sorry. I didn't do it to hurt you. I'd take it back if I could," he said even though he wasn't entirely sure that was true. However, he knew that he couldn't be anymore cruel than he had to be.

"So you were compelled? You see her here now and she means nothing to you?" Elena asked, trying to read through his stoic expression.

Stefan was caught off guard by the question. "How could she mean something to me? We danced. We had sex. I tried to bite her, and then she put me on the floor. It was pretty horrible actually," Stefan said grimacing at the recall.

Elena didn't know what to say. She wished she was strong like that. A guy hurts you and you just make him whimper in pain. The idea had merit. Then she sighed dejectedly. She was basically powerless. Always the hunted and the protected. Always the victim. Her life seemed to be a constant source of pain and heartbreak. She wiped her tears. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. She didn't want her tears to move him. Elena wanted him to love her enough to fix what was wrong. "I worried all summer for you. Did you think about me at all?" she asked.

"Of course, I did. Do you think I _enjoyed_ being with Klaus? Hurting people?" Stefan asked bitterly.

"You know, once I would've said no and been confident in that. Now, however, I'm not sure anymore. I'm not sure if I know you at all," Elena said, her disappointment in him apparent.

"We can't go back, Elena. You know that. It's over," Stefan said firmly. He looked sad but resolved.

Elena didn't respond. She just stared at him sadly. If this was what he wanted, she wasn't going to beg. Not after all she'd been through. Finally, she said, "Okay." Then she turned to leave, determined to wait until she was out of his house before she broke down. She made it to the bottom of the stairs and saw Damon, who was pacing in worry over her.

He looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She didn't reply. She just walked into his embrace, seeking comfort. Damon couldn't turn her away and wrapped his arms around her. He looked up and his eyes met his brother's at the top of the stairs. Damon didn't need words to know what his brother wanted from him. If Stefan couldn't be there for her, he'd want Damon to be. How much longer would the brotherly bonds between them hold up with Elena between them? Katherine had nearly destroyed them. Stefan was the only family Damon had. He didn't want to lose him now. He pulled away from Elena. "Why don't you let Bonnie take you home?" he suggested. His eyes were kind. However, they didn't encourage further intimacies.

Elena nodded. "Bonnie," Damon called. She walked toward them. Her eyes flashed concern. "Will you take Elena home?"

"Of course," Bonnie said. She took Elena's arm and headed for the door.

Damon watched them go. Stefan joined him at the bottom of the stairs. "We're done," Stefan said quietly.

"Give it time, brother. You'll get back to normal, and she'll forgive you," Damon said to him. He threw his arm around Stefan's shoulders.

"I don't think so, Damon. It will never be the same," Stefan said sadly. "I destroyed what was between us." He looked at his brother, heartbroken but resigned.

"Well, you still have me," Damon said with a grin.

"I guess that's something," Stefan said, a rueful smile on his lips. They walked to the edge of the room where their guests were eating and laughing.

"When did our place become the place to be?" Damon observed as he took in all the new faces.

"When you decided to protect our town instead of destroying it," Stefan said. He slapped Damon on the back and walked toward the drinks.

"So what's the plan?" Willow asked when the two brothers joined them.

"Well, I know Klaus will be sniffy around soon," Buffy said. "It's doubtful we can keep Elena's non-death from him if he comes back to town. So we should make sure someone is always with her."

"Her birthday party is this weekend. Then classes start. She's with Rick and her brother at home and us at school," Caroline said.

"Good. Willow will be working at the school, too, so that will give her even more protection," Buffy said.

Stefan was relieved to hear this. He didn't think going back to school would be a good idea for him. If Elena had others watching over her, he wouldn't have to.

Buffy turned her penetrating gaze on him. "What about you?" she asked him. "What should we do about you?"

"My brother isn't your problem," Damon said, bristling.

"Yes, he is," Buffy said firmly. "Until he gets himself under control, he's mine and Faith's problem." She looked at Faith. "Do you want to stay here or shall I? One of us needs to help him."

Faith gave him a speculative look. "Well, you don't know too much about how to control darkness inside you since your darkness is all cheery and marshmallowy," Faith quipped. "It's a big house. I guess I can stay."

Stefan was surprised and a bit uncomfortable at the thought of her being so close. However, his brother couldn't resist stirring things up.

"Plenty of room. Pick any room that's not currently occupied by me or my brother!" Damon suggested. Then he gave her a sly smile. "Or you're welcome to join me in mine. I don't mind the company. I've been told that I have a beautiful _tub_." His words were ripe with innuendo.

Alaric snickered. He always found Damon's predictability amusing.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Buffy said with an eye roll.

"Don't be jealous. You're welcome, too," Damon said winking at her.

"Ignore him. He can't help it," Alaric said, grinning.

"I figured," Buffy said, smiling at Alaric. He was so cute.

Damon noticed the mutual eye exchange going on with his buddy and the blonde slayer and grinned. Maybe Rick was going to come out of his doldrums soon.

"I can't wait until you see the place Will and I got! We have your room ready and a place for Giles!" Dawn said.

"Why don't we call it a night and meet up to plan more in the morning?" Giles suggested. "Caroline, your mom should come and anyone else who knows about Klaus. We all need to be prepared and on the same page."

"Okay," Caroline said. "I'll call Matt and Tyler."

Everyone said their goodbyes and vacated the premises. Faith, Stefan, and Damon were left alone. Stefan and Faith stared awkwardly at one another. Damon looked from one to the other and grinned. This was going to be fun!

****** _Somewhere Else******_

Klaus rubbed his jaw for the second time that day. When his sister made to hit him again, he grabbed her hands. "Okay, Rebekah. Calm down! I know you're mad. I'm sorry," Klaus said, giving her his best look of contrition.

"I can't believe you did that to me, Nick! For 900 years, it was _me_ always by your side! And then I finally like a guy and you go nuts!" Rebekah exclaimed angrily.

"I've told you I'm sorry. Michael was closing in on us. I couldn't risk you," Klaus said.

"So I see you're fine now. Where's dear ole' dad? Not a threat anymore? Yet you left me frozen in a box for decades. Not the actions of a beloved brother," Rebekah said, the hurt evident in her voice.

"I need you, little sister. And I missed you," Klaus said sincerely.

Rebekah had never been able to stay angry with her impossible brother and sighed in resignation. "So what have I missed?" she asked.

Klaus grinned happily. "I don't know where to start. But we probably should wake up big brother first. He can help fill you in," Klaus said, walking to another coffin.

"Elijah? You daggered Elijah? Why would you do such a thing?" Rebekah asked in surprise. No matter how much the two brothers disagreed, they had always found their way back to common ground. Most of their lives, Rebekah had envied the bonds between them. No matter how much she tried, her brothers never looked to her as a true equal. Elijah was probably the only person Klaus ever respected. "You and Elijah rarely quarrel."

"That used to be true. But he sided with the doppelganger and almost succeeded in killing me. I got a little angry," Klaus shared. He reached in and pulled out his brother's dagger.

"Let's hope he's as forgiving as I," Rebekah said.

"He will be. I've encountered a problem that can threaten us all," Klaus said. Although Elijah was going to be upset with him, Klaus was confident that his brother would come around. Like him, Elijah would be intrigued at discovering the lady slayers. When a person lived so long, new things were rare. The slayers were an exciting puzzle. One he couldn't wait to solve. Maybe his brother could figure out a way to tame the wild and beautiful beasts. It'd be a shame to have to kill them.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_Did you like this chapter? Please take a minute to review and let me know!_


	11. Birthday Blues

****** _The Same Night at the Salvatores'******_

After everyone had vacated his house, Damon looked at his brother and the slayer left behind. The tension was so thick that Damon couldn't control his snicker. "I guess I'll leave you two love birds to work out your issues. Don't get any blood on my carpet!" Damon ordered as he strolled out of the room.

Faith eyed Stefan warily. Why did some vamps have to be so incredibly sexy? Both Salvatores were two of the finest specimens of men she'd laid eyes on in a long time. However, she knew firsthand how hot Stefan was. She refused to make the same mistake that Buffy had made more than once, so she went on the attack.

"So do you make a habit of cheating on your girlfriend or am I just special?" she asked him.

A pained expression came across his eyes, and he looked away a moment. Then he said, "No, I've never cheated on Elena before. I would never normally do anything to hurt her."

"Then why did you? I know I'm pretty hot, of course, but I've never tempted a loyal vamp boyfriend before. They don't usually stray," Faith said, thinking of Angel.

"Klaus compelled me to forget about Elena and have fun," Stefan admitted.

"Compelled? What do you mean? Mind control?" Faith asked with a frown.

"We can compel humans not on vervain. However, we can't compel other vampires. Only an Original can do that," Stefan said.

"So you interpreted his orders has sex with me?" Faith asked with a smirk. "I'm flattered!"

Stefan didn't say anything for a minute. He just gazed at her. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Faith asked.

"For trying to bite you. For using you," Stefan said.

"Hey, I used you just as much, stud, so no worries," Faith said. She put her empty drink down. "So is your girlfriend going to forgive you?"

"It doesn't matter. We're over," he replied flatly.

Faith frowned. "Do you not love her anymore? I mean I know I rocked your world good, but I don't do flowers and candy. I'm not into commitment and labels," she informed him.

He gave her a half-smile. "I don't recall proposing," he said dryly. "I love Elena more than I've ever loved anyone. She's the best thing I've ever had in my very long life. However, she deserves so much more than me. Since meeting me, her entire life has been one nightmare after another."

"Well, good things in life don't come easy," Faith said. "B and I both will testify that being called to be a slayer is often nothing but horror and loss and pain. But it is also power, exhilaration, excitement, and so much more."

"I just can't do it anymore," Stefan said warily. He couldn't keep disappointing her.

"Do what? Be a good man? Be a good boyfriend? If you're a good man, you'll be a good boyfriend. If you're not going to be good, then you're going to die," Faith said, reminding him why she was with him to begin with.

"It's that easy, huh? You could just stake me and move on?" Stefan wondered.

"Well, that is what I do," she said with a careless shrug. She got up. "It'd be a shame to kill such a pretty face, but I will if you don't get it together. It's been a long day. We'll talk more tomorrow about how to get your bloodlust under control. I suggest you take your brother's advice. Grab a blood bag."

"The problem is, I can't stop at one," Stefan shared, looking grim.

"Well, you're going to learn. Maybe you should only drink under supervision or something," Faith suggested. "Good night."

Stefan watched her leave the room. He ran a hand through his hair. When did his life get so complicated? Faith was unexpected, but he loved Elena. And it was killing him that he'd hurt her. He went up to his room determined to get his blood-lust under control. If he ever wanted Elena to give him another chance, he had to be the man she deserved again.

****** _The Next Day******_

A tired Elena was woken up by the ring of her cell phone. She opened her eyes with a groan. After crying herself to sleep, she had a restless night sleeping. It was too early to be awake, and she was exhausted. However, she reached over and grabbed her phone.

"Happy Birthday, Elena!" Caroline chirped.

"Aggh! Why are you calling me so early?" Elena griped.

"To wish you a happy birthday. Duh!" Caroline said with a giggle.

"There's nothing really happy about it, Care. My parents are dead. Jenna is dead. Stefan cheated on me, and I have an Original psycho killer who is going to flip his lid when he discovers I'm still live. So what exactly do I have to be happy about?" Elena asked crankily.

"Oookkay," Caroline said, drawing it out. "I am coming over. Be there soon."

She hung up before Elena could reply. Disgruntled, Elena closed her phone and threw off the covers. Maybe she'd have time for a shower before Caroline intruded.

When she got out of the shower, Caroline was sitting on her bed reading a magazine. Elena frowned at her. "Make yourself at home," she said crossly, grabbing clothes out of her dresser.

"I am," Caroline replied, unabashed. She waited until Elena dressed. The she said, "Are you okay?"

"No, Caroline, I'm not," Elena said. She began to comb out her hair.

"Well, you'll feel much better at your party tomorrow tonight," Caroline said.

Elena put down her comb. "I am _not_ going to Stefan's house. So cancel the party. I didn't want a party anyway, Caroline, but you never listen. I'm not going over there, and if you were my friend, you wouldn't even ask," Elena said firmly.

Caroline got up. "But all the arrangements are made," she said in protest.

"Fine. Have the party. Just don't expect me to be there. How do you _not_ get it, Caroline? Stefan cheated on me while I was at home worried to death about him. That's _after_ he went on a killing spree. Having a party at his house is the last thing I need," Elena said.

"You know it was Klaus. He probably compelled him or something," Caroline said. "Because the Stefan I know would never look twice at another woman."

"I'd like to thinks so, but it doesn't matter. Stefan doesn't want to be with me anyway," Elena said sadly.

Caroline gave her a hug. "Hey, he's being really stupid. Don't let it ruin your birthday, Elena. You're the first one of us to turn eighteen. You're an adult now. We should celebrate that," Caroline said.

Elena sighed. She hated arguing with Caroline. It was usually a losing battle. "Care, I really don't want to see Stefan anytime soon," she said.

Caroline's mind raced as she tried to figure out a way to salvage things. Finally, she said, "How about we move the party to Tyler's? His house is big. I'll tell Stefan that it'll be better if he not come."

Elena couldn't help but feel guilty about that. "That seems mean. He needs his friends if he's going to get himself under control," Elena said.

"He has his friends. Besides, Buffy made Faith stay there to keep an eye on him," Caroline shared. Then grimaced as she realized how that would make Elena feel.

"So the girl he cheated on me with is now staying at his house? Wonderful!" Elena said sarcastically. She sat down on her bed.

"Don't worry. I'll go by there and make sure the slutty slayer knows to keep her hands to herself," Caroline said.

"You don't have to do that!" Elena said.

Caroline grinned. "I know," she said. "It'll be fun!"

Elena smiled and shook her head. "You love to live dangerously, don't you?"

"You know it!" Caroline said, grinning.

****** _A Few Blocks Away******_

Buffy came out of her room with a yawn. Willow had picked out a very comfortable bed for her. She walked by the study on the way to the kitchen and blinked. Giles was in there, of course. However, he wasn't alone. Alaric was there with him. The two men were pouring over old books. Buffy instinctively put her hand to her messy hair and grimaced. She was about to turn around and head back to her room when Giles spotted her. Great. It was too late to retreat.

"Good morning, Buffy!" he called. Alaric looked up and smiled at her. He had one of those slow, sexy smiles that probably had girls chasing him everywhere he went.

"Good morning. I see Giles has sucked in another disciple," Buffy said with a rueful smile.

"Alaric is a history teacher and knows quite a bit about the occult," Giles said. "And he's spent time as a vampire hunter. Not a common combination."

"It's been awhile since I killed any vamps. I spend most days drinking with one," Alaric said with a sardonic smile. "However, I did get the honor of daggering Elijah, Klaus's brother the first time. Only a human can dagger one of the Originals. The magic will kill a vamp. Or so we're told."

"It's probably better to veer on side of caution with that, I'd imagine," Giles said.

"Well, Damon doesn't believe much the witches say since they tend to hate vampires, but I convinced him to let me do it," Alaric said.

"Why did you want to dagger Elijah? From what I heard, he sounded fairly sane," Giles said.

"He is. But Damon doesn't always listen to reason. According to him, all threats must be eliminated," Alaric said. "He saw Elijah as a threat to Elena mainly because he didn't trust him."

"Was he trustworthy?" Giles asked.

"Actually, he was. He saved Damon's life three times and never tried to avenge the other times we daggered the poor guy," Alaric admitted with an embarrassed smile. "But in the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his brother. Klaus promised him something he couldn't say no to."

"What?" Buffy asked. She found the tale of Klaus's brother very compelling.

"To reunite him with their family," Alaric said.

"Do you think he did?" Buffy asked.

"We don't know much yet about the rest of their family. So I'm not sure. However, from my experience with Klaus, he's completely conniving and highly manipulative. He probably daggered his brother as soon as he didn't need him," Alaric said.

"What a pity," Giles observed. "I'd like to meet him. Think of all the history he's seen first-hand."

"I'm sure he's the life of the party," Buffy said dryly, thinking he was probably pompous and boring as Giles could sometimes be. "I was on the way to the kitchen. Any coffee made?"

"Yes," Giles replied.

"I could go for another cup myself. Do you mind if I join you?" Alaric could help asking.

"Sure," Buffy said. So he sees her at her worst. It could only improve from here.

While Buffy was getting a bowl of cereal, Alaric poured two cups of coffee. "How do you like Mystic Falls?" Alaric asked.

"Too soon to tell, but I'm not picky. I lived on a hellmouth for seven years. My high school graduation's high point was when the mayor turned into a giant snake and ate our principal," Buffy said flippantly.

"Seriously?" Alaric asked not sure if she was joking.

"Not even kidding. I literally armed the senior class. Those that survived fought their way through a horde of vampires and the mayor-snake," Buffy said. "So your town is very nice in comparison."

"I'd say so," he said dryly. His mind was trying to process the grim picture she painted with such casual ease.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"A little over a year," he said.

"How did you end up in Mystic Falls?" she asked.

"Long story," he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she said even though she wanted to know everything about him.

"No, it's okay. It's no secret. My late wife Isobel spent all her time studying the occult and superstitions. I thought I saw her killer and tracked him here," Alaric said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I thought my wife was dead. We never found a body, but I saw her being drained by a vampire—the first one I ever saw—the night she disappeared," Alaric said.

"Did you get the vamp?" she asked.

"Not exactly. I tried, but he broke my neck," Alaric said. When Buffy looked confused, he held up his ring. "This ring is a Gilbert heirloom that protects the wearer from being killed by supernatural forces. Damon was the vampire. We found out it protected me when he broke my neck the first time."

"The first time?" Buffy asked in dismay. "He does that a lot?"

Alaric frowned. "Too many times. He doesn't always think," Alaric admitted.

"Yet you're friends," Buffy observed. She smiled. He obviously had a soft heart. "Don't you know how to hold a grudge?"

"I tried," Alaric said with a sheepish smile. "It's impossible to stay mad at Damon. He just never gives up. He always there with a drink and a smirk. And he makes me laugh."

"I was with a guy like him once. Spike was always in my face. When I finally stopped beating him up, I realized I felt something more with him," Buffy shared.

"Well, Damon and I are just friends," Alaric said quickly.

Buffy couldn't hold back her laugh. "Oh, I know! I was just saying. Damon's wit and arrogance reminds me of Spike. Usually the quick wit hides much deeper things. I bet your friend is much more than a pretty face," Buffy observed. Spike had constantly surprised her by having her back and eventually giving his life for them all.

"Yes, sometimes he is. Other times, I want to stake him myself," Alaric said, smiling. Buffy laughed again, enjoying his company. They shared a look of mutual understanding.

Their private interlude was interrupted by the appearance of Willow. "Hey, guys. Any coffee?" she asked, her eyes barely open.

"Yes, Will. Are you sure you're awake enough to pour a cup?" Buffy asked, smiling at her befuddled best friend.

Willow yawned. "Dawnie and Caroline were up half the night. Then when Caroline finally left, I kept dreaming up ways to kill this immortal vampire," she said.

"What'd you come up with?" Buffy asked.

"Well, if you beheaded him and buried the head away from the body, he should die," Willow said.

"Good point," Buffy said with a grin.

"Or we could cast a spell that decimates him and lock him up somewhere," Willow said.

"Decimate? What is that exactly?" Buffy asked.

"Killing without killing basically. He'll be powerless and look like a corpse. I guess like he would if he was daggered. However, from what Bonnie says, the daggers won't work on him. Magic will though. He's not invulnerable to me," Willow said with a grin.

"Our secret weapon," Buffy said with pride.

"If he's dumb enough to come back here, we'll be ready," Willow said with confidence. "I know just what to do."

"I'm counting on it!" Buffy said happily.

****** _At the Salvatores******_

Caroline went into the Salvatores will more trepidation than she normally had. However, she wasn't going to let some slutty slayer come in and mess up her friends' lives. She found Stefan in the living room sipping a drink.

"Isn't it a little early to start hitting the sauce?" she asked in concern.

"You know it helps with the cravings. I've got to figure out a way to get myself under control," Stefan replied.

"I'll say," Caroline said, sitting down next to him. "What's got into you, Stefan? I can't believe you went on a killing spree _and_ cheated on Elena! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, obviously. I was driven by pure instinct and hunger. Klaus made sure of that," Stefan said bitterly.

The two vampires were oblivious to the intruder who had come in through the back of the house undetected. The intruder decided to linger in the hallway a bit and see what he could overhear.

"I can't believe Klaus would make you do something some part of you didn't want to do," Caroline said doubtfully.

"You're right, Caroline. That's exactly it. There's a darkness inside of me that I can't deny anymore. For all my lectures to Damon and pretending, I can't hide what I am. I'm a killer. Elena deserves so much better!" Stefan said bitterly.

"Elena loves you, Stefan. And once classes start back next week, and she sees you every day, she'll forgive you," Caroline said.

"I'm not going back to school, Caroline. There's no point. Willow will be there as a teacher. She's more than capable of handling any threats to Elena," Stefan said. "Why torment myself? Or her?"

"Well, it's true that your presence is upsetting now. But she'll get over it," Caroline said confidently. "She doesn't want to have her birthday party here tomorrow, so I'm going to move it to Tyler's."

"Good. It's hard enough. I don't want to see her for a few days," Stefan said.

"So you can spend time with your new slutty slayer?" Caroline asked pointedly.

"Faith is here to help me," Stefan said.

"Did someone say my name?" Faith asked as she suddenly appeared. She looked at the blonde girl. "Caroline, right?"

"Yes, this is Caroline," Stefan said, hoping to ward of any comment Caroline might have.

"I came by to check on Stefan. He has me to help him. He doesn't need you and your slutty slayer vibes," Caroline said, getting up and facing the slayer.

"Excuse me?" Faith said, taking a step toward her.

Stefan got to his feet and quickly stepped between the two girls. "Let's calm down!" he suggested.

"She shouldn't be here, Stefan. If you really care about Elena, you'll make her leave," Caroline said with her arms crossed resolutely.

"Listen, Barbie or Blondie or whatever you're called, Stefan can't _make_ me do anything! Buffy's in charge, and she said one of us should stay here," Faith said.

"Yeah, and I bet you jumped at a chance to be near Stefan!" Caroline snarked.

"Stefan, control your friend before I give her the beating I never got to give you," Faith said getting angry.

Caroline stepped forward, knocking Stefan's hand away. "Go ahead and try! I bet I could take you!" Caroline said confidently.

Klaus, observing from the hallway, couldn't help but admire the baby vamp's courage. She was fierce and loyal to her friends. Two traits he greatly admired. And the fierceness made her look even more attractive.

"Ladies! Calm down!" Stefan said.

"I dare you to try!" Faith challenged, moving into a fighting pose.

Caroline wanted to knock the smug slayer's smile off her face. However, before she could take a swing, a voice interrupted, "As much as I'd love to see the two beauties face off, I don't think now's the time."

The three of them turned and looked at the intruder. When they registered who had joined them, their faces each reflected various degrees of shock and dismay.

Klaus stepped closer. "Ah, Stefan, I see you were unable to kill the slayer after all. But I'm sure you tried," Klaus said with a knowing smirk.

Faith immediately moved in front of both Stefan and Caroline to face off with Klaus.

He grinned at her telling movement. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Niklaus. Most people call me Klaus," he said. He offered Faith his hand.

Faith looked incredulous. What was this vamps game?

***** _To Be Continued*****_


	12. Flipping the Switch

Chapter 12: Flipping the Switch

****** _Where We Left Off******_  
  
Faith gave Klaus an incredulous look. "I don't shake hands with vamps I plan on dusting," she said.  
  
Klaus put down his hand. "No need to be rude," he said with disapproval. He looked at Stefan. "Well, old chap, I can't say I'm surprised that you so easily abandoned me. You don't remember me or the friendship we used to have."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.  
  
Klaus moved toward Stefan, but Faith stepped in front of him. Before Faith could react, Klaus threw back an arm and knocked Faith across the very large room. Without pausing, he got in Stefan's face. "I don't think you've had time to start digesting vervain again, so let's give this a try. Remember what I told you once to forget," he compelled.  
  
Stefan staggered back a step as memories he had forgotten came in like a flood. Rebekah's laughing face. Dancing with her, laughing with her. Sharing a drink with Klaus. Klaus smiling at him. Stefan blinked. "You have a sister. Rebekah. I knew her. She was in love with me," he said.  
  
Klaus smiled in approval and slapped Stefan on the shoulder. "Good. Now you see. We were friends, and I need to call on our old friendship. Tell me, how is Elena still alive?" he asked, using compulsion.  
  
Faith got up with a wince. Nothing was broken, but she was pissed. She pulled out her cell and sent Buffy a quick text even though she knew this would be over before Buffy arrived.  
  
"Bonnie. Bonnie did a spell binding her life force to her father's. When John died, she came back to life," Stefan intoned.  
  
Realization dawned in Klaus's eyes. "That's it! The doppelganger is still alive!" he exclaimed. His eyes narrowed as he focused on Stefan. "You knew and didn't tell me."  
  
"I love her, Klaus. You know that," Stefan said.  
  
"Your love for this girl is what's keeping you from giving me your loyalty," Klaus said. "So turn it off. Turn it off! Turn off your humanity! You're no use to me this way!"  
  
"Don't!" Caroline said too late.  
  
Faith stepped toward the two men. Klaus grinned at her. "You're too late, love," he said. "Stefan's mine."  
  
"Stefan?" Caroline asked nervously. She wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. She knew there was a part of her she could focus on that would let everyone and everything slide a way. However, she loved life too much to experience it without all of her emotions.  
  
"Stefan, you and I will talk later when you have less company," Klaus said. He turned and faced Faith, who was glaring at him menacingly. "I didn't come to fight. I'll be on my way."  
  
Faith had a moment of indecision, and then it was too late. Klaus was gone. She faced Stefan. "What did he do? What happened?" she asked Stefan.  
  
Stefan smirked. "Nothing for you to worry about," he said. Then he stepped up to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her ruthlessly. She was helpless against the sudden onslaught of passion from him. As quickly as the kissed started, it stopped. He stepped back, grinning. "See you ladies later."  
  
"Stefan!" Caroline called out in frustration. He waved at her but didn't stop. She turned and glared at Faith.  
  
"Hey, don't glare at me! I didn't do anything," Faith said defensively. She hated that his kiss had left her reeling.  
  
"That's right. You didn't do _anything_! You just let Klaus compel him!" Caroline said furious.  
  
"What exactly happened?" Faith asked in confusion.  
  
"He flipped the switch," Caroline said upset.  
  
"And that means?" Faith prodded.  
  
"He turned off his humanity. That means the Stefan I know and love is gone. The Ripper is all that's left," she said flatly.  
  
"If that's the case, then he's going to die," Faith announced.  
  
"You can't kill him! He can turn it back on! We just have to get rid of Klaus. The compulsion will wear off," Caroline announced. She decided to quit arguing with the slayer. She went to find Bonnie.  
  
******* _The Originals_ *******  
  
"Well, brothers and dear sister, I found out what my problem is," Klaus announced.  
  
His siblings looked at him all with various expressions. Elijah stoic, Finn disinterested, Kol bored, and his sister actually interested. "What?" she asked.  
  
"Elena Gilbert, the doppelganger, is still alive," Klaus said.  
  
"And that's a problem why?" Kol asked.  
  
"The original witch eons ago told me that the doppelganger had to be killed in order for the spell to work. It's not working and she's alive," Klaus asked.  
  
"So kill her already so we can leave!" Kol said dismissively.  
  
"What makes you think the original witch was telling the truth, Niklaus?" Elijah asked. "Witches aren't known for their high opinions of us."  
  
Klaus frowned. "True," he said thoughtfully. "Very true."  
  
"Blood, Nick. It's always about blood," Finn said.  
  
"So either I should kill Elena or I should use her blood? Good point," Klaus said.  
  
"Obviously, you should try the blood and if it doesn't work, kill the girl," Rebekah advised.  
  
"I don't care about anything of this," Finn informed Klaus. "You kept me boxed 900 years, brother."  
  
"I did you a favor. You hated your existence. I saved you from 900 years of misery," Klaus said with a smug grin.  
  
"You always think you know what's best for us," Rebekah said bitterly.  
  
"I had someone in my life I loved, Niklaus. You had no right to rip her away from!" Finn said angrily. "She's probably forgotten all about me by now. If she's even still alive."  
  
Klaus grinned. "Ah, brother, I have kept Sage safe for you. I promise. Help me with this, and I will reunite you," he vowed.  
  
"Like you promised to reunite me with our family by daggering me alongside them?" Elijah asked with a raise of his eyebrow.  
  
"I was angry. You betrayed me!" Klaus said in annoyance.  
  
"Betrayal? You want to talk about betrayal, brother? I stood by you as your right hand for nearly a thousand years. Always cleaning up after you. Always protecting you. But nothing was ever enough for you. You insisted on more. You continued to cause chaos everywhere you went. And now you want to replace your family with these hybrids?" Elijah asked incredulously. "Do you think your creations will love you like we do, brother?"  
  
Klaus tried to hide the way his brother's words affected him. Elijah was truly the only person in all of his existence that he admired and respected. He alone had Klaus always depended on. His betrayal hurt as much as their mother's. Maybe more. "Love, brother? Your love for me turned sour long ago. You chose to leave my side. Now there's something that can threaten us all. And I need your support," Klaus said.  
  
The two brothers stared across at one another, memories of a millennium of life forever tying them together. Good times, bad times all were there hovering between them. However, when one was truly immortal and a part of an ever changing world, only blood ties were unbreakable. Elijah had loved his younger brother from the moment Niklaus was born. He had watched over him, protected him from their father's wrath, and shared the world with him. Now, surrounded by his entire remaining family, Elijah found it impossible to sever those ties. He sighed in defeat. Nodding, he said, "You will have it, Niklaus."  
  
Klaus felt relief course through him. "You won't regret it, brother. We will create an army that will keep us safe from any foe," Klaus said confidently.  
  
"So what's our next move? I want to explore this new era and this little town just doesn't do it for me. Let's get this over with," Kol said with a grin.  
  
His siblings smiled at their brother's familiar impatience. "We must grab the doppelganger," Klaus said.  
  
"You need a werewolf, too," Rebekah reminded him.  
  
"The Lockwood boy will do just fine," Klaus said with satisfaction. He looked at Elijah. "You know the Gilbert girl, right?"  
  
"We've spent time together. Not all of it pleasant," he said dryly.  
  
"But I bet she trusts you," Klaus said knowingly. That was Elijah's greatest gift: getting people to trust him. "Go to her and bring her here. She's probably at home. From what I overheard, she and Stefan aren't the happy couple anymore."  
  
"Stefan? Stefan Salvatore is here?" Rebekah asked in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"We don't have time for your school girl crush now, sister. He was in love with the doppelganger, but I took care of that," Klaus assured them.  
  
"How?" Rebekah asked.  
  
"I had him flip the switch," Klaus said with a smile. "The Stefan you knew hasn't been around for decades. I wanted the Ripper back. I thought he could replace Elijah, but he loves the woman too damn much."  
  
"So you had him not care?" Rebekah asked with a frown.  
  
"He won't care about you either, Bex. So don't go there. You'll just get hurt," Klaus warned.  
  
"I want to see him at least," Rebekah insisted.  
  
Klaus shrugged. "He's at the Salvatore Boarding House, but one of the slayers is on the premise. Her witch friend is very powerful," Klaus said. "And Buffy is another slayer. She's a formidable opponent."  
  
"I can't believe the almighty Klaus is afraid of a bunch of _girls_!" Kol exclaimed with a laugh of derision.  
  
"I fear nothing as you well know. But I haven't survived this long by being foolish. You'll do well to remember that and follow my lead!" Klaus warned pointedly.  
  
Kol shrugged and grinned unrepentantly. Klaus sighed. Kol was an impulsive pup. He always making Klaus laugh as quickly as he made him want to throttle him. "As soon as we know how to make the hybrids, we can leave," Klaus told them.  
  
Kol got up. "Come on, Finn. Let's check out this new millennium!" he ordered eagerly.  
  
"Keep your brother out of trouble," Elijah told Finn, who nodded. That was always his job somehow. Kol never listened though, so why they always kept insisting he be the one to watch him, Finn didn't know. However, the familiarity of it was comforting. This new world was so strange and off-putting to him.  
  
Klaus watched with satisfaction as his family made moves to do his bidding. Finally, his frustration would come to an end.  
  
******* _At Buffy's_ *******  
  
The war council assembled in Willow and Buffy's living room. Giles, Alaric, Matt, Tyler, Caroline, Faith, Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Bonnie, Damon, Jeremy, and Elena were all gathered discussing Faith and Caroline's encounter with Stefan. Buffy wasn't sure who was more upset about the new development with Stefan, Elena or Damon. Damon was seething and not bothering to hide his anger with his normal sarcasm. Buffy watched Alaric give his friend a worried look.  
  
"So his next move will be to make a grab for Elena," Buffy said.  
  
"She should stay here," Dawn suggested.  
  
"Yes, that would be for the best. Your brother and Alaric are welcome to stay also," Buffy said.  
  
"I can create a barrier that will keep all unwanted trespassers out," Willow said.  
  
"So I'll just be a prisoner here?" Elena asked, not liking the plan.  
  
"Just until we deal with Klaus," Buffy said. "Now we have to worry about Stefan, too."  
  
"I'll worry about Stefan. He's my brother. You and your sidekicks can stay away from him!" Damon said angrily. He didn't have time for any more of their talk. The slayer would keep Elena safe, so he wouldn't have to worry about her safety for once. Without waiting for a reply, Damon headed for the front door.  
  
Buffy went after him with Alaric trailing a step behind her.  
  
"Damon, stop!" she ordered.  
  
Damon turned around so quickly that Buffy almost knocked in to him. "Listen here, little girl, Elena needs you and your strength. I don't. My brother doesn't. You stay away from us or I'll kill you myself!" Damon threatened. "No one, not you, not Faith, and not Klaus is going to hurt my brother!" He opened the front door without waiting for her response.  
  
Alaric grabbed Buffy's arm to prevent her from following him. "Let him be," Alaric warned. "You can't reason with Damon when he gets like this. He's impulsive and normally reacts with violence when provoked."  
  
"Violence? I'll show him violence!" Buffy fumed in annoyance.  
  
Willow and Faith walked up to her. "It's his brother, Buffy. He loves him. You're not rational sometimes when it comes to Dawn's safety," Willow reminded her.  
  
Buffy looked at Faith. "I think you should go find Stefan. Keep it low key. Just trail him. Keep him from killing anyone if he loses control," Buffy advised.  
  
Faith nodded and left.  
  
Across the room, Caroline said to Bonnie, "You need to do something, Bonnie. We can't let them hurt Stefan."  
  
Bonnie looked uncomfortable but shook her head. "No. I'm not going to go against Willow. She's not going to kill Stefan. She can contain him if he becomes dangerous," Bonnie said. "I trust her."  
  
"Well, I don't," Caroline said flatly.  
  
"Buffy made it really clear what would happen if Bonnie interfered again," Elena told Caroline. "They're strong, and they want to help. We need to trust them."  
  
Caroline didn't look happy, but she didn't said anything else. Tyler put his arm around her. "Don't worry, Caroline. With all us here, not even Klaus can stand against us," he said confidently.  
  
"Yeah, 'cause Jer and I are so scary to an immortal all powerful vamp," Matt said with a rueful smile. It wasn't easy being the obvious weak link even when surrounded by females.  
  
Dawn wanted to reassure her new friends that her sister wouldn't kill Stefan. However, she couldn't do that. She knew better than anyone that Buffy would do whatever needed to be done. She decided to help lighten the mood. "Our friend Xander is only human and has fought many battles with Buffy, so don't sell your puny selves short," she teased, smiling at the two of them.  
  
Matt laughed. "Gee, thanks! I wouldn't exactly say I was puny!" he defended.  
  
Dawn grinned. "Well, compared to my tiny sister, you are," Dawn said.  
  
"I bet I could take her," Tyler boasted.  
  
"She defeated a hell-god," Dawn said.  
  
"Well, who hasn't?" Matt scoffed. They laughed.  
  
Buffy joined them. "Elena, why don't we go to your place, so you can get some of your things?" Buffy said.  
  
She nodded and got up. Jeremy followed.  
  
"Willow, you probably should come with us just to be safe," Buffy said.  
  
Liz, who had said little, got up. "I'll have my deputies keep an eye out for new faces. If Klaus has brought his vampires or witch friends into town, we'll find out where they're staying.  
  
"Good idea," Giles said. He gave her a shy smile. She smiled back and then told Caroline, "Be careful." She left with Buffy and company following her out the door.  
  
****** _The Salvatores*******_  
  
Damon found his brother feeding on a woman in their living room. Luckily, the woman wasn't dead yet. "Stefan! Are you stupid or do you just want to die?" Damon asked as he marched into the room and pulled Stefan off of the woman. Stefan flashed his teeth in protest. "Go ahead, brother, and try it! I don't mind knocking out some of your teeth. Maybe you'll get in less trouble!"  
  
"You've become such a drag, brother!" Stefan complained.  
  
"You have got to keep yourself under control, Stefan! There are two slayers close by who won't take kindly to you killing women in town," Damon warned.  
  
"So I'll go to another town," Stefan said with a careless shrug.  
  
"No, you won't!" Damon said angrily. "You will stay where I can keep an eye on you."  
  
"Ah, I'm touched!" Stefan said in mockery.  
  
"What are we going to do about Klaus?" Damon asked. "Have you been in contact with him?"  
  
"Not since this morning," Stefan replied. "Did you know that he has a sister? Her name's Rebekah. I actually knew them back in the 20's. She was sweet on me." He flashed Damon an arrogant smile.  
  
"Another original? What happened to her?" Damon asked.  
  
"Probably the same thing that happened to Elijah. I saw him put Elijah in storage," Stefan said.  
  
"Storage? Seriously?" Damon said with a snicker. "He's got ice in his veins to do that to his own family."  
  
"Why do you say that? I killed our father, remember?" Stefan reminded him.  
  
"Well, that was after he shot us," Damon countered.  
  
"Big of you to remember that point," Stefan said with a smirk.  
  
"Listen, brother, why don't you and I leave town for a while? Aren't you sick of this town yet? We can have some fun down in New Orleans or Los Angeles. Lots of warm bodies no one will miss there," Damon said.  
  
Stefan chuckled. "So instead of saving me from myself you choose this tactic? You want to join me, brother?" Stefan asked.  
  
"We stuck around this long because of Elena. You and she are over, and she's safe, so we can go. There's nothing keeping us here," Damon said.  
  
"You would leave her? Just like that?" Stefan asked skeptically.  
  
"She'll be fine. Between the two slayers and the witch, she's safer than ever," Damon said.  
  
"But now's your chance, brother," Stefan said with a wicked grin. "I'm out of the picture. You can have her."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Damon said dryly. "She doesn't love me, brother. She loves you."  
  
"Don't sell yourself so short, brother. She turns to you more all the time. She trusts you. It's a start," Stefan said.  
  
Damon frowned. This was not the direction he expected their conversation to go. "One day you're going to care again, Stefan. And I'm not going to be the reason you spiral downward. Not again," Damon said, recalling a time in their past when Stefan had needed him to pull him back from the edge but Damon had walked away.  
  
Stefan was surprised by his brother's fierceness. The love he always had for his brother was there if he chose to feel it. However, he didn't want any more guilt that always came along with that love. He made his brother a vampire. Every life Damon took was because of Stefan. There was an ocean of blood between the two brothers. An ocean that was a constant reminder of the lives they took. "I'm responsible for my choices, brother. Not you," Stefan said flatly, turning away.  
  
They were interrupted by the appearance of Faith. "There you are," she said, spotting Stefan. She looked at Damon. Then she noticed the girl. Her eyes zeroed in on her and she marched toward her.  
  
"She's fine," Damon said. He bent down and compelled the girl. "Go home and remember none of this." The girl staggered to her feet and walked out of the room.  
  
Faith watched her go with a frown. "Well, should I be happy the girl is alive?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Damon said. "As you can see, I have my brother under control, so you can leave."  
  
"Sorry, I drew the Ripper-sitting duty, so I'm staying," she said as she threw herself down on his couch.  
  
"And you're very welcome to stay," Stefan said with a pleased smile. "In fact, why don't we kill some very pleasant time in my room?"  
  
Faith rolled her eyes. "Dream on, Ripper," she said.  
  
"Oh, I do. Except my dreams are memories," he said with a self-satisfied, knowing grin.  
  
Faith rolled her eyes while Damon snickered. This should be interesting.  
  
****** _The Gilbert House*******_  
  
Buffy and Alaric went into Elena and Jeremy's house while they stayed on the porch with Willow. They checked out both levels of the house and found no evidence of disturbance. Buffy came back and motioned for them to come in.  
  
"Will, why don't you hang out in the kitchen and watch the back door? Alaric and I will stay here and guard the front," Buffy suggested.  
  
"No problem," she said. She turned and headed toward the kitchen.  
  
Elena and Jeremy went up the stairs to their perspective rooms.  
  
Elena was getting some clothes out of her closet. When she turned back around, she jumped back. "Elijah!" she exclaimed, her hand going to her throat. "You scared me!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean to frighten you," he said apologetically. He had entered through her balcony.  
  
"You're okay? I was worried about you," she said.  
  
Elijah looked into the eyes of the too compassionate Gilbert girl and sighed. Those eyes reminded him too much of the first doppelganger. She had been all heart, too. How had Niklaus been able to kill this girl when she had those eyes? The eyes of the woman they both had once cared deeply for. "Well, I'm surprise you care since I betrayed you," he said sadly.  
  
"It's not betrayal to not kill your brother," Elena said. "We understand. Well, Damon doesn't, but that's Damon." She gave Elijah a rueful smile.  
  
Elijah couldn't prevent a chuckle. She was always a delight. "I won't let any harm come to you, Elena. I promise," he said.  
  
Elena smiled easily, unafraid of him. She never did see him as a threat. Not once since she had first spent time with him had she looked at him with distrust or fear. He never understood her faith in his control. "I know you won't. Did your brother send you?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Yes. Niklaus is convinced you're the key to his new toys," Elijah said with a half-smile.  
  
Buffy had heard voices and went upstairs to investigate. Elena's bedroom door was open and she peered in. She grew concerned when she saw an unknown man standing by the balcony doors. He was young, good-looking and dressed formally. Vampire she assumed. However, Elena conversed easily with the man, unafraid. Buffy stepped into the room. "Elena, who's your friend?" she asked.  
  
Elena and the stranger looked at her. Elena said, "Buffy, this is Elijah, Klaus' brother."  
  
Buffy examined the man with your curious eyes. So he was an Original vampire. Was his sudden appearance a good thing? Buffy stepped closer. She was about to find out.  
  
****** _To Be Continued******_  
  
 _It's a real challenge finding the right balance with the Originals. I hope I did them justice. They have a way of taking over somewhat. Please, please review!_


	13. The Originals

****** _Where We Left Off******_

Buffy looked at the stranger. Elena said, "Buffy, this is Elijah, Klaus' brother. Elijah, this is Buffy. She's a vampire slayer."

"No, I'm _the_ vampire slayer," Buffy clarified. "The first and the strongest." She moved to stand next to Elena and eyed the stranger warily.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elijah said solemnly. He was so serious, so very different from his brother.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked, making no time for pleasantries.

"Klaus sent him," Elena offered.

"You aren't taking Elena," Buffy said flatly.

"I can assure you that no harm will come to her," Elijah said calmly. "It's better at times to appease my brother."

"I don't appease vampires. I don't care who he thinks he is or how afraid of him you are," Buffy said.

Her fierceness made Elijah smile. "I am not afraid of my brother. He'd never kill me or truly harm me. Not physically anyway," he added. No, Niklaus knew other ways to inflict harm on Elijah. Harm that was more damaging in the long run.

"Today's my birthday, Elijah. I don't want to deal with your brother. Not today. So many other things are wrong in my life. Give me today. Please," Elena said, a note of pleading in her voice.

"Why are you negotiating with him? You're not going anywhere," Buffy insisted. "Willow! Come up here!"

"Buffy, that's not necessary! Elijah would never hurt me," Elena said. She could never picture Elijah hurting anyone. She knew that he was deadly and that both Salvatore brothers feared him. She also knew he'd killed Rose's best friend, Trevor. However, she thought of him as a friend, and it wasn't in her nature to fear her friends. "He's my friend."

Elijah smiled fondly at her. She really was an extraordinary girl. "You are the only human who would ever say that about me," he said to her.

"Well, he's not mine," Buffy said firmly.

Willow appeared in the doorway with Alaric right behind her. "What's up?" she asked. Then she noticed the new guy. "Who's this?"

"That's Elijah," Alaric said warily.

Willow's expression brightened and she stepped into the room. "Cool! Giles really wants to meet you," Willow said.

"Giles?" Elijah questioned.

"He's my Watcher. He's a big history nerd and can't wait to grill you with a million questions," Buffy said, relaxing slightly. The guy hadn't made any aggressive moves yet.

"This is Willow Rosenberg. She's a witch. Much stronger than Bonnie," Elena told Elijah. "Let me clarify. Much stronger than Bonnie even after Bonnie channeled the power of 100 witches."

Elijah's eyebrow rose at that announcement. Here was the real threat his brother alluded to. Witches had sealed their fate long ago. Idly, he wondered if this witch was strong enough to change their fate? "It's a pleasure to meet Elena's new friends," Elijah said. The girl seemed sweet, harmless even. However, she had easily defeated Klaus's witches and managed to kill some vampires. There was obviously more to her.

"Elijah here was telling us how it was better to appease his brother in the small matters. He thinks handing Elena over to Klaus is a small matter. I disagree," Buffy said sourly.

"I won't let her be harmed," Elijah said.

"Well, I won't let you take her, so we're going to have a problem," Buffy stated, crossing her arms.

Elijah didn't want to fight or challenge the witch, so he nodded. "Okay," he said easily. "Happy birthday, Elena." Then in a blink, he was gone.

"Wow! He wasn't what I expected at all!" Willow exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's pretty hot, huh?" Elena said with a grin. Then she frowned. "Oh, I forgot. You're not into guys."

"I don't have sex with them anymore, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a pretty one when I see them! And there's a lot in this town," Willow said, giving Alaric a wink.

When Alaric looked embarrassed, Elena giggled. "Look, Alaric's blushing!" she exclaimed, pointing.

Buffy glanced at Alaric and grinned. He really was adorably sexy. "Yes, the eye candy abounds," Buffy said as she gave him her own admiring glance.

Alaric tried to look stern and ignore the women's ogling. "Elena, you can't be so trusting," he scolded.

Buffy looked at her. "He's right. What were you thinking?" Buffy asked.

"It's not like I let him in. I turned around and he was there," Elena said.

"He's an Original and Klaus's brother. He even admitted that Klaus had sent him to collect you," Buffy said with a disapproving frown.

"He said he wasn't going to let Klaus hurt me," Elena defended.

"So you just want to go with him and see what Klaus wants with you? And hope that Elijah can keep Klaus from killing you if that's what he decides to do?" Buffy asked.

"Klaus would probably hurt his brother for standing in his way," Alaric said. "Do you really want to risk that?"

Elena sighed. "No, not really," she said in defeat.

"It's a good thing we decided to take you to our place because it's clear that there are too many vamps welcomed in this house," Buffy said. She went to check on Jeremy, shaking her head. If she hadn't shown up, she suspected that Elena would have meekly left with the man. Teenagers!

***** _A Short Time Later_ *****

"So you came back empty-handed, I see," Klaus said with a frown. "Must I do everything myself?"

"Relax. I have it in hand," Elijah said. "She wasn't alone. The slayer was there and the witch."

"So?" Klaus scoffed.

"Nick, you know big brother doesn't like to be rude," Rebekah said smiling fondly at the brother in question. She put her arm around Elijah. He was always so solid, so polite, and dependable.

Elijah returned her embrace. "I missed you, sister," he said affectionately. "I thought you were dead."

"Really? Klaus never told you what he did to us?" she asked in surprise.

"No," Elijah said flatly. He gave his brother a disgusted look.

"Now, that's all water under the bridge," Klaus said dismissively. "No sense in rehashing the past."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. She moved and sat down in a chair. "What happened?" Klaus asked.

"Today's Elena's eighteenth birthday," Elijah said simply and without apology. "I'll collect her tomorrow."

Klaus laughed. "Well, okay then," Klaus said, trusting his brother. "Has anyone heard from Kol and Finn?"

"No," Rebekah said. Elijah shook his head.

Klaus sighed. "We better find them. There's no telling what kind of trouble they're getting into," he said in resignation.

****** _Mystic Grill_ ******

Kol snickered as he watched his brother Finn try to use the cell phone Klaus gave him. They were at the bar ordering drinks. Kol had managed to convince his brother to unbend enough to have some fun. He looked around the restaurant and noticed a really hot blonde talking to the bus boy. Girls in this millennium were so attractive! "Excuse me, brother! I'm going to go get lucky!" he said happily. He walked over to the hot blonde who was still talking to the help.

"Hey, gorgeous," Kol said, flashing Caroline a flirtatious smile.

She rolled her eyes and Matt snickered. He loved watching Caroline go off on a guy as long as it wasn't him. "Excuse me, but we were _talking_!" she said impatiently.

"Well, is there any reason why you can't talk to me?" Kol asked with a grin. He held out his hand. "I'm Kol."

When Caroline pointedly ignored the hand, Matt laughed, enjoying the guy's determination. "I'm Matt. That's Caroline. Good luck!" he said as he walked off, carrying his bus tub.

"Sweet Caroline," Kol said. He pulled a chair from the nearby table and sat at the end of her booth.

"Do I know you?" Caroline asked, looking at him closely. He didn't seem familiar.

"No, I'm new in town. How about you take a walk with me?" he asked.

Caroline's mouth fell open a bit at his daring. "Are you high? I don't take walks with guys I don't know!" she said.

He leaned closer, using compulsion and ordered, "Take a walk with me."

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "You're a vampire!" she exclaimed.

Kol frowned. The girl wasn't compelled. Was he that out of practice? Then the girl laughed, wounding his pride.

"Are you like a newbie? Who taught you how to compel?" she asked. "Don't you know how to recognize your own kind?"

"You're a vampire, too?" he asked in surprise. "But it's daytime."

"Ah, yes, it is. You are clearly the brains in your family. I bet your mom is real proud," she mocked.

Kol had never met any vamps besides his family who could go outside in the daytime. Then he realized something else. She wasn't compelled. "Why were you not compelled?" he asked puzzled.

"Because vampires can't compel other vampires. Duh!" she said rolling her eyes. When he still frowned, she realized that he was still surprised that it hadn't worked. Then her eyes widened in realization. "Uh, you wouldn't happen to have a brother named Klaus would you?"

Kol smiled. "Yes, I do," he replied. He turned and pointed at his brother Finn, who was watching them closely from the bar. "There's another brother. Finn. I'm the youngest and obviously best looking."

The restaurant door opened. "And here comes the rest of my family," Kol said waving.

Caroline swallowed nervously as Klaus and Elijah came into the restaurant with a strikingly beautiful blonde girl. She must be their sister. Five. There were five Originals. Dread filled her. Klaus was bad enough. Now he had an entire family. She had to warn their friends.

"Kol, I see you're making new friends," Klaus said, smiling at Caroline. "Miss Forbes, how are you today?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Your brother was introducing himself."

"Caroline, this is our sister, Rebekah," Elijah introduced.

"Hello," Rebekah said, giving Caroline a shy smile. She had never gotten to spend much time around other women since she became a vampire.

"Hi," Caroline said.

"So, brother, Caroline here was laughing at me for trying to compel her. She says vampires can't compel other vampires," Kol shared with a smirk.

"We can," Klaus said.

"I said that when I didn't know who he was," Caroline said quickly.

"It's okay, love. We laugh at Kol all the time," Klaus said, smiling at his brother. "May we join you?"

Knowing she couldn't refuse, Caroline moved over. Rebekah sat next to her while Klaus sat across from her with Elijah next to him. Matt came up to the table. Caroline tried to warn him to stay away, but he was oblivious to her slight head shake. "Hey, what can I get you?" Matt asked, smiling at the newcomers. Then he realized the guys across from Caroline looked familiar.

"We're fine," Caroline said quickly, trying to ward him off.

"Now, Caroline, I could use a drink," Klaus said with an easy smile. "Elijah?"

Matt's eyes widened as he realized who was sitting with Caroline. "No, thank you. I'm fine," Elijah said easily.

"A scotch on the rocks," Klaus said. He knew the human's heart was racing and smiled in amusement.

Matt beat a hasty retreat and got out his phone as he raced to the kitchen.

"So where were we?" Klaus asked. "Oh, yes, you were about to explain how you were immune to Kol's compulsion."

"The twit probably did it wrong," Rebekah said with amusement.

"Maybe," Klaus said. He leaned forward and looked into Caroline's beautiful blue eyes. She was so lovely. "Kiss me."

When her eyes widened in panic and indecision, he frowned. She wasn't compelled. Klaus wasn't used to his orders not being instantly obeyed.

Kol snickered. "No compulsion is strong enough to overcome the horror of that command!" he joked.

"Well, Katherine told the Salvatores that she started sipping vervain. And then some werewolves..uh..tortured me using it, and we learned that you can compel vampires, we started drinking it," Caroline confessed.

"Stefan mentioned it," Klaus said. "But he didn't tell me about werewolves. Shall I kill them for you, love?"

"No, let me!" Kol offered. "Where can I find them?"

"I can make them hybrids and make them your willing slaves," Klaus offered with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm over it!" Caroline insisted. "Besides, Elijah sent his witch to help the Salvatores rescue me."

"Finally, a witch good for something," Kol said.

"Big brother to the rescue," Rebekah said fondly.

Elijah shrugged. "I made a deal with Elena to protect her friends."

"And you always keep your word," Klaus observed. That was one thing he could always count on when it came to his brother.

Caroline was taken off guard by how normal they all were acting, even friendly. It felt unreal.

"So Elijah had a little chat with your friend Elena. She said it was her birthday. I figured a girl like you would be helping plan the party," Klaus said easily.

"Oh, I already did!" Caroline replied without thinking. "I had to move it to Tyler's 'cause Stefan and Elena broke up." Then she put her hand over her mouth. Why did she tell them that? They didn't have to use compulsion when she was so stupid!

"Party? I love parties!" Kol said eagerly. "Can we come? We'll be good!"

"Uh, I don't think killing the birthday girl would be evidence of good behavior," Caroline said sarcastically.

"Oh, we may not have to kill her," Kol said easily. "Just take some of her blood."

"Kol!" Rebekah admonished in warning.

"What? She's a vampire. Surely, we have her loyalty," Kol said arrogantly.

"Ah, brother, things have most definitely changed," Klaus said. "Today's modern vamps don't feel any allegiance at all to their elders. They still feel loyalty to their human friends and family." He gave Caroline a frown of disapproval. No one knew their place anymore. It was most irksome.

Kol frowned. Never had a vampire went against his brother. Nor did his brother ever tolerate any type of defiance. "But we're the founding family. They wouldn't exist without us," Kol said.

Caroline couldn't contain her giggle. "You sound like Mayor Lockwood!" she said. The perplexed look on his face was priceless.

Klaus smiled at her, enchanted. "Caroline, isn't like most vamps, however. In fact, just this morning, I saw her challenge a vampire slayer most fiercely," he said, giving her an admiring glance.

Caroline flushed as he smiled at her. "So don't take this the wrong way when I say, you can't come, Klaus. The slayers would be very upset with me. Not to mention, Elena. You murdered her aunt Jenna, remember?" Caroline said with a pointed glare.

" _I_ haven't murdered any of your friends or their relatives," Kol said. "Can I come if I promise not to kill anyone?"

Despite her resolve, Caroline found the persistence of the youngest Original charming. "Well, Elena won't care if Elijah comes. He can bring you as his date," Caroline said grinning. "If you guys will excuse me, I have more details to plan."

"Is it tonight?" Kol asked.

"No, it's tomorrow. Today's a Thursday. No one has parties on a Thursday," she said as if explaining things to a child.

Rebekah got to her feet. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Caroline," she said.

Caroline gave her a small smile as she scooted out of the booth. It wasn't her nature to be rude to strangers even if they were related to a homicidal maniac.

Buffy and Faith came barging into the restaurant. Matt had called Dawn and warned them about the sudden arrival of Klaus and Elijah and some new people.

"What? A party and no one invited me?" Buffy said, eying the newcomers warily.

As they had been trained to do, the three brothers got to their feet at the arrival of the women. Finn moved in behind the two girls while Rebekah took a step to the left, surrounding the two slayers.

"B, why do I suddenly feel like I'm missing something?" Faith asked as she turned her head and saw another man behind them. They were surrounded in a public place with no weapons. This would not end well.

****** _TO Be Continued*******_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I enjoyed writing it. This is how I picture Rebekah acting if she had met Caroline on a clean slate._


	14. Connecting

****** _Same Time, Same Place_ ******

Buffy didn't like being surrounded when she didn't know the players. Willow would be here soon; she would bide her time. "So who are your new friends?" she asked Klaus. "I already met your brother Elijah."

"This is my dear sister Rebekah," he said, pointing to the blonde who looked at the two women with interest. "The young man here is our baby brother Kol. He doesn't always listen. And behind you is the ever morose and always boring Finn, another brother."

Faith turned and eyed the tall, slender man behind them. He didn't look like much of a threat. "So you're all Originals?" she asked.

"Yes, so it wouldn't be a good idea to challenge us, love," Klaus said with an arrogant grin.

"They're awfully pretty, Nick. Can I keep one?" Kol asked eagerly, eying the two slayers.

"Someone needs to teach your baby bro some manners," Faith said crossly.

"He means no disrespect," Elijah said quickly. He shot Kol a look.

Kol chuckled and turned to Caroline. "Don't worry, sweet Caroline. You're still our favorite," he assured her.

"As if!" she protested with a roll of her eyes.

The door of the restaurant opened and Willow and Bonnie rushed inside. "Are we late for the party?" Willow said easily as she stood behind Finn, who quickly turned to face the two new arrivals.

She grabbed Bonnie's hand and began chanting in Latin.

"No need for that," Elijah said holding up his hand. "This is not a place for that."

"He's right, Will. Too many witnesses," Buffy agreed, looking at the few customers that were looking at them with interest. "I don't care how many of you there are. If you bother Elena or any of the humans in this town, you will die."

Kol laughed. "She's awfully daring," he noticed.

"Yes, she is," Klaus agreed. "I can't be killed."

"Oh, so you've survived a beheading before?" Buffy asked pointedly. "Because I can run home and grab my supernatural scythe and separate your head from your shoulders. We'll test your theory."

"Might make for a nice game of keep-away," Faith said with a snicker.

Klaus lost his smile. He never handled threats well. He stepped closer to Buffy. "Careful, girl. You have people you care about that I can easily kill. Not to mention I can rip your head from your shoulders with my bare hands," he threatened.

"Not so easily, I think," Buffy said confidently. "Even without Willow, I have access to more power than you can imagine."

Klaus examined her closely, trying to discern the truth of her words. "Maybe so. We will see," he said. "Let's go." He turned to his siblings. He headed for the door and his siblings followed. Except for Elijah, who lingered behind.

"It never ends well when people challenge my brother," Elijah warned.

"It never ends well when arrogant men underestimate me," Buffy responded without missing a beat.

"Klaus won't underestimate you. However, for all your gifts and skills, my brother has 1000 years experience defeating his enemies. He has never known defeat," Elijah said.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Buffy said confidently.

Elijah frowned, weighing his words. He looked at Caroline and the boy Matt, who had came up behind them to listen. Then he said to Buffy, "I can protect Elena to a degree, but if you arouse Niklaus' ire, I won't be able to stop him," Elijah said.

"We don't need your help," Faith said in annoyance. Who was this guy?

"This is Faith. My second in command. She's also a slayer," Buffy introduced. "This is Elijah. Apparently the non-homicidal member of the family."

Elijah nodded at her. "Every family needs at least one. Too bad I was an only child," Faith said with a wicked smile.

Elijah didn't know if she was serious or not but knew enough about people to know that Faith was the loose canon between the two. She had an element of darkness in her that the fairer slayer did not. However, he could sense the steely resolve both women had. He couldn't help but admire people of conviction. Too many people in today's world didn't have much belief in anything. It made for a tedious world at times.

"Well, I wish you luck," Elijah said in resignation. "Miss Forbes." He nodded at Caroline as he passed by and left.

"That vamp is something else! Who talks like that?" Faith asked with derision.

"A 1000 year old vampire who actually respects women and has manners," Caroline said, making a point to disagree with Faith's obvious objection of the oldest original.

"I'll take him over the normal vamps we have to deal with," Buffy said. She turned to Caroline and asked, "So what did we miss?"

"I was talking to Matt and this cocky poser interrupts and tries to hit on me," Caroline said.

"That would be Kol," Matt added with a grin. "He was all ballsy and Caroline blows him off!"

"Then he tried to compel me. When I laughed at his attempt, he was really surprised," Caroline said with a satisfied grin.

"You can't be compelled?" Buffy asked, trying to keep it straight.

"Well, only with Originals. Vampires can't compel other vampires except for them. But if that skank Katherine can handle sipping vervain then so can I. So he couldn't compel me," Caroline said proudly.

"Vervain?" Faith asked, not following.

"It's a plant that vampires are allergic to. Like holy water on all those vampire movies," Caroline explained.

"So you keep it in your system so you can't be compelled?" Faith asked.

"Yep. Every painful drop," Caroline said.

"We drink it like tea or wear something that has it on it," Matt explained. "Jeremy has a bracelet and Elena a necklace."

"That's kind of dumb. Jewelry can be ripped off. I'd definitely ingest it," Faith said.

"We don't know if we can be compelled or not, so let's not risk it," Buffy advised. "We should get some."

"The Salvatores grow it," Caroline said.

"Good to know," Faith said. "I don't think regular vamps can compel us. I think Stefan tried that on me the night I met him. It didn't work."

"That's good at least. However, we don't want to take a chance with these originals. We need to get home and fill Giles and Alaric in," Buffy said.

"Ah, don't you want to know what else happened?" Caroline asked a bit uncertainly.

"What else happened?" Buffy asked.

"Well, um, they sort of knew about Elena's birthday party and well, Kol really wanted to come, and, well," her voice trailed off.

"You invited the super-vamps to Elena's birthday party?" Faith asked incredulously.

"No! Well, not exactly. I told Klaus that he couldn't come 'cause he killed Elena's aunt Jenna, and Kol promised he wouldn't kill anyone if he could come," Caroline explained.

"Because vampires are always so honest," Faith said sourly.

Buffy didn't know whether to laugh at the young vamp's rambling explanation or yell at her foolishness. However, the girl's naivete was fascinating.

"I didn't tell him he could come!" Caroline said defensively.

"So what did you say exactly?" Buffy asked, calling on her patience.

"I told Elijah that since he was Elena's friend he could come," Caroline said as if that was perfectly reasonable.

"Just Elijah?" Buffy asked with an arch of her brow.

"Well, I told him he could bring a guest," Caroline admitted.

Faith laughed, unable to contain her disbelief any longer. "I'm outta here!" she said to Buffy. "You can deal with the ditzy vamp!"

"I'm not a ditz!" Caroline said. "I have a 4.0 GPA!"

Faith just grinned and turned to leave. God save her from Valley Girl vampires!

Bonnie finally spoke. "No one thinks you're a ditz. Faith just doesn't know you," Bonnie said loyally.

Willow smiled at Caroline. She rambled like Willow used to at her age. "I think you're really cute when you ramble, and I am sure those very delicious vamps thought so, too," Willow said.

Matt laughed. "Yes, they were particularly taken with her," he agreed. "Kol and Klaus were flirting with her like crazy."

"Shut up, Matt!" Caroline said, turning red. "It was a bit flustering. I know Klaus is evil or can be, but he was all charm and well, kind of cute."

"I am familiar with his charms," Buffy said dryly.

"And I don't know anything about Kol. Is he evil? He seemed like a regular guy my age or even Jeremy's," Caroline admitted. "It was really hard to be rude."

Buffy just shook her head. "Well, it may not be a bad idea to get to know them. Find out what they're all about. Are they all on board with Klaus' plans?" Buffy said. "We know Elijah isn't. What about the rest?"

"So you want me to be nice to Kol?" Caroline asked doubtfully.

"It'll be such a hard job," Matt said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Caroline said crossly. "I wanted to spend my time at the party with someone else."

"Tyler's bringing a date," Matt informed her. Caroline glared at him. Would he shut up already?

"I didn't say you had to sleep with the guy. Just talk to him some," Buffy clarified. "I'll introduce Giles to Elijah if he shows up."

"What about me?" Willow asked.

"Why don't you go charm the sister?" Buffy suggested. "She's surrounded by men who think they're invincible. Surely she could use some female friends."

"That won't be a chore," Willow said with a grin.

Buffy chuckled. "Somehow I thought you'd say that!" she said.

**** _**Later that Night*_ *****

Damon stood outside the slayer's house debating on the wisdom of his actions. He should just walk away. He should just grab his brother and leave town and forget about all of this. Disgusted at his weakness, he knocked on the door.

The slayer's sister answered. "Hey. Come in," she said, opening the door.

"No thanks. Can you ask Elena to come out?" Damon asked.

"Ah, sure," she said. "Elena!" She left the door open and bellowed again for Elena. A minute later Elena came to the door.

"Damon? What's wrong?" she asked in concern.

"Nothing. Can you talk for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure. Come in," Elena said.

"No. How about you come out?" Damon suggested.

She frowned but she closed the door as she stepped on the porch. "What's up?" she asked.

"Well, I heard a rumor that a girl I know turned eighteen today," Damon said with a lazy smile.

Elena was surprised by his words. "Ah, yes. My party's tomorrow, though. You're coming, right?" she asked.

"That remains to be seen. But I wanted to give you something for your birthday," Damon said.

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to buy me anything? I don't need your money," Elena said with a frown.

"I know. I didn't buy you anything," Damon said. "I was going to give you back your necklace that Stefan gave to you. I reacquired it."

"You did?" Elena asked with mixed feelings. It was the first gift Stefan gave her. The only one really. But did she really want it back?

"Yes, but I figured with the way things stood between you and Stefan it might not be the best choice for a gift," Damon admitted.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Elena agreed with a sad look.

He handed her a small box. Elena smiled and opened it. Inside was an old-fashioned jeweled covered cross on a silver chain. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. She picked it up to examine it. "It's old."

"It belong to our mother," Damon shared. "I know if Stefan had his head on straight he'd want you to have it, too, so consider it from both of us."

Elena's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Your mother?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. He reached over to take it from her. He looked at it. "She told me once that my grandmother gave it to her for her sixteenth birthday." Pulling apart the silver strands of the chain, he held the ends out to her. She turned and lifted up her hair.

After he fastened it, she let her hair drop and turned to face him. She looked down at the necklace, admiring it. "Thank you, Damon. I love it!" she said. She gave him a hug.

He hugged her a moment and then pulled back. "I knew it'd look perfect on you," he said, giving her that crooked smile of his.

"You don't ever talk about your mother. Neither does Stefan," Elena observed.

"Stefan doesn't really remember our mother," Damon said with a sad look. "I was very close to her."

"What was she like?" Elena asked with interest.

"She was always laughing. Always happy. A magnet that attracted everyone around her. The sun that my dad and I evolved around," Damon said, a far away look in his eyes as he remembered the first woman he had ever loved. Her compassion, her kindness imprinted on him to some degree no matter how much blood he spilled. Would she hate the man he had become? Hurting at the thought and the memories, he turned away from Elena.

Elena sensed his pain and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Damon turned back to face her. "My father was a different man after she died. Harder. Unbending. Sometimes I think I reminded him too much of her or not enough. I was never sure. I just know I could never please him no matter how hard I tried," Damon said regretfully.

Damon hadn't been so open with her since he was dying of his werewolf bite. This side of Damon was rare, and it was a side she was drawn inexplicably to. Elena knew that he didn't show it to anyone but her. For some reason, his humanity seemed to come out the most when he was with her. She knew that it was because he loved her. Sometimes the weight of his love weighed on her. Other times it gave her comfort. She had lost so many she cared about and knew that Damon's love tied him to her. It maybe be selfish of her, but she liked knowing that in her ever changing world she wouldn't lose him.

"It's hard to lose someone you love," Elena said in understanding.

"Mother was so excited to give me a brother," Damon said, remembering with small smile. "She used to make up stories about all the things I would do with my new brother. She'd be disappointed at all the ways I've let him down."

"No, she wouldn't. You and Stefan are there for each other when it counts," Elena said.

"Now. But not always," Damon said with a mournful look in his eyes.. Then he shook his head. "It's your birthday and this conversation has become very morose."

"I like learning more about you," Elena confessed.

Damon flashed a smile. "I hear that Klaus has brought some fun new relatives to town," he said, changing the subject.

"He has Elijah and two other brothers. And a sister," Elena said.

"Stefan told me that he knew Klaus and his sister in the 20's. Klaus compelled him to forget, so he didn't remember until today," Damon shared.

"Yeah, Caroline told me that Klaus had compelled him to remember, but she didn't know the specifics," Elena shared.

"I think the sister was sweet on Stefan," Damon shared, figuring it was best if he prepared her for whatever unpredictable action Stefan took next.

"Ripper-Stefan? Really?" Elena replied, surprised.

"So he says," Damon said.

"How is he? Caroline said Klaus compelled him to flip the switch. Is he okay?" she asked, concerned despite her hurt and anger.

Damon shrugged. "He's okay. I'm keeping an eye on him. He hasn't killed anyone yet," Damon said.

"You left him at home? Is that a good idea?" Elena asked.

"Faith's there," Damon reminded her.

Elena grimaced. "Great," she said.

"Well, I better head back," he said. "Happy birthday, Elena."

He gave her a smile and turned to leave. "Damon!" she called out. He turned and looked at her. "Thank you. It means a lot." She put her hand on the necklace. He lifted his hand in a small salute and then was gone. She stood there a moment. Sometimes he really surprised her.

She went back inside. Dawn was curious and came up to see what was going on. "What did Damon want?" she asked.

"To give me a birthday gift," Elena replied, showing her the new necklace she was wearing.

"Way cool!" Dawn said peering at it.

"He said it belonged to his and Stefan's mom," Elena shared.

Dawn looked curious. "So are you and Damon more than friends?" she asked.

Elena shook her head. "He told me that he loved me when he was dying. I kissed him, but I've always loved Stefan," she said. "I care about him, though."

"How much?" Dawn asked with a devious grin.

"He's important to me. Since Stefan left with Klaus, I've depended on Damon more and more. He hasn't let me down," Elena shared. "He's changed a lot since he first came to town."

"Yes, love does that to a man," Dawn said. "My sister had Spike fall in love with her when he was a soulless vampire. He was so obsessed with her that he found a way to get his soul back. He went from always trying to kill her to dying for her."

"He died for her?" Elena asked intrigued.

"Well, for all of us. He had this necklace that Angel gave Buffy that had some type of magic powers. It killed all the vampire hordes coming out of the hellmouth. He died saving all of us," Dawn shared.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Elena said with sympathy.

"He came back though," Dawn said. "The Powers That Be sent him back or he was trapped in the mystical necklace somehow."

"The Powers That Be?" Elena asked in confusion.

"It's kind of what we call God or whoever's in control. They're behind the good in this world," Dawn shared.

"You guys really take your battling evil thing very serious, don't you?" Elena asked in bemusement.

"It's what Buffy does. It's who she is," Dawn said. "She'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. We all will."

"You don't have superpowers, do you?" Elena asked curious.

Dawn grinned. "I wish! I used to be this ball of energy. You'd think I'd at least be able to float a pencil or something, but nope! No powers at all!" Dawn said with a regretful sigh.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Buffy said, coming up behind the girls. "You have a great gift for getting into trouble." She put her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"No reason to rehash the past," Dawn said quickly. "I've turned over a new leaf."

"We'll see," Buffy said with a cheeky grin.

"I think I'm ready for bed," Elena said yawning.

"Good idea," Buffy said. "Get some sleep. Big day tomorrow. Caroline is very excited."

"She's always excited about something. You'll learn," Elena said, smiling. "She is the planning queen. She started planning our weddings back when we were still in kindergarten."

"I'm excited! Matt said he was coming," Dawn said happily.

"Looks like someone has a crush," Elena observed.

"Is it okay? I know you two used to be a thing," Dawn asked nervously.

"Well, he dated Caroline last, so you should ask her," Elena said with a grin.

"But she likes Tyler," Dawn said.

Elena laughed. "Let's go to your room, so I can share all the drama Caroline left out!" she said.

Buffy watched them run up the stairs. It was good Dawn was making some real friends. She turned and went back into the living room. Alaric was showing Giles some of his hunter toys. She grinned at the two of them. It was good having Giles here with them even though Buffy knew he'd soon go back to England. The girls needed his stern wise presence to keep them in line.

"Did you see this Buffy? It's quite ingenious," Giles said with approval. "These vamps react to a plant called vervain like holy water."

"So I've heard," Buffy said.

"It's like a vervain bomb," Giles said admiring it.

"Well, I don't think it does much damage on the Originals," Alaric stated. "They heal incredibly fast. Even more than regular vampires."

"So do you think Klaus will make a move for Elena tomorrow?" Buffy asked.

"Klaus doesn't usually do his own dirty work," Alaric said.

"Do you think Elijah will take her?" Buffy asked.

"I think he'll do whatever he thinks will both appease Klaus and keep her safe. He usually doesn't go around hurting people," Alaric said.

"I'd like to meet one of these Originals. Elijah could fill in some gaps for me," Giles said eagerly.

"If he shows up to the party, I'll introduce you," Buffy said with an indulgent smile.

"We have to remember though that his loyalty is to his family and his brother. In the end, he'll pick them," Giles said.

"Yes, but if he isn't working to hurt Elena, we can focus more on the other siblings. The youngest, Kol, seemed very rash and impulsive. He'll be the most trouble I suspect," Buffy said.

"I hate that we have no records of this family. It's very frustrating," Giles complained. "I'm going to call some friends back home and see if they have any records. A family this old has to have records somewhere or left evidence of their doings some place." He got up with a distracted air.

"He really does thrive on puzzles, doesn't he?" Alaric said, smiling at Giles as he left and headed to the study.

"He really does," Buffy said with a fond smile. "But he can usually be depended on to find answers."

"You two seem a bit closer than teacher-student," Alaric observed.

"Says the man who lives with two of his students," Buffy replied with a knowing smile.

"Touche," Alaric acknowledged. "It's impossible to stay distant sometimes, especially when I was in love with their aunt."

"The one Klaus killed in his ceremony?" Buffy asked.

"First, he turned her into a vampire. Then he ripped out her heart," Alaric said bitterly. "And I wasn't allowed to be there. Bonnie and Damon decided I'd just get hurt. Bonnie trapped me inside a house with a barrier." The memory of that still ate away at him. He didn't wish he'd seen her die, but he'd have liked a chance to say goodbye or tell her how much he had loved her. Did he ever tell her? He couldn't even remember.

His sorrow pulled at Buffy. She reached over and took his hand. "I'm sorry. For all my powers and capabilities, I was helpless to help my mother when she died of a brain aneurysm. It was the most horrible feeling," she recalled, the memory still painful.

Alaric looked down a moment at their joined hands. Her unexpected compassion and empathy surprised him. She was a warrior, but she wasn't cold or embittered by her losses. He looked into her eyes and saw only compassion and kindness. Her warmth reached inside him. The cold knot he'd been carrying around inside him began to melt.

Buffy found herself trapped in his brown eyes. The attraction between them built. She really wanted to kiss him.

The front door opened. Buffy let go of his hand, and he gave her a rueful smile, the moment building interrupted. Willow came in. "Hey, guys," she said.

"Hey. Anything new?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I taught Bonnie the uninvite vamp spell. We did it on Elena's house. I figured the concept should be the same even if these vampires are different. Some things still hold true. The sun weakens them both, and both kinds need an invite to go inside a person's home. Tomorrow, we'll take them back over there and conduct an experiment with Caroline," Willow suggested.

"Good," Buffy said, getting to her feet. "I guess I'll head to bed. Do you need anything, Alaric?"

"I'm good," he said.

The two women bade him goodnight. After they left, Alaric kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch thinking about the incredible Buffy Summers. She was unexpected. Alaric worried, though, that she had taken on too much with this challenge to Klaus. No one knew more than him how truly powerful Klaus was. He had taken over Alaric's body and his life. Although he very much would like to see Klaus finally get what was coming to him, he didn't want to see anyone else he cared about die. He was startled to realize that Buffy had already become someone that meant something to him. What he didn't know yet.

**** _**Chapter En_ d********


	15. Party Time

**** _*The Next Evening*_ ****

Liz Forbes was off for the evening. She had to resist her impulse to drive by the Lockwoods and make sure the party her daughter was throwing for Elena didn't get out of hand. It was hard not to worry. Not that the kids would go overboard so much as the party might get crashed by unwanted vampires. Liz never thought the day would come when she would understand that the enemy she had been trained from birth to fear wasn't innately evil. That she could love her own daughter just as much as a vampire. In fact, she saw strength and confidence in Caroline as a vampire that she never possessed as a human. Some days Liz felt torn for her feelings. She couldn't imagine that her own father, if he were still alive, would understand. Deciding she was too anxious to head home, she stopped at the Grille for a glass of wine and a bite to eat.

When she stepped inside, she saw a familiar face. The English man Rupert Giles was sitting alone at a table. He was incredibly sexy, but his brilliance were apparent with one look in his eyes. It'd been a long time since Liz found a man interesting. She walked to his table. He was looking down at a book and didn't notice her approach.

"Mr. Giles," she said, getting his attention.

He looked up, an unfocused look in his eyes. Then he smiled when he recognized her. "Rupert, please," he said. "Will you join me?" He gestured to the empty seat across from him.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "I just got off and was going to grab a bite to eat." A server headed to her table. "The usual," she told the server, who smiled knowingly.

"You come here often I gather," Rupert said with a dry smile.

"Not a lot of choices in a town this small," Liz replied.

"They make a good cup of tea. Not many American restaurants do," Rupert said. The server came back with her normal glass of red wine.

"Have you eaten?" she asked as she took a sip.

"No, not yet. I got caught up reading a book Alaric gave me," he said, gesturing to the book on his table. "It's the history of the early American settlers written for a mystical audience. There's a long recurring history of animal attacks in the area."

Liz gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, that's the Council at work. We went through long periods of time with no vampires in the area, but when one does appear, it's easy to explain a ripped throat by blaming it on an animal," she admitted.

"People will always believe what's easiest to accept. You wouldn't believe some of the excuses the police in Sunnydale came up with to explain away not just vampire attacks but mystical attacks by ghosts and other supernatural entities," Rupert shared.

"Really? You dealt with more than just vampires?" Liz asked in surprise. "I couldn't imagine that. Vampires are frightening enough."

"Yes, well, it's not always easy. But unless you're next to a hellmouth, the supernatural occurrences are not as common," Rupert said. "Fortunately, we managed to permanently close the one in Sunnydale."

"What are you doing now?" Liz asked, fascinated.

"Well, most of our resources are spent locating and training the slayers that have been awakened," Rupert shared.

"Slayers like Buffy and Faith?" Liz asked.

"Yes. Willow changed the course of slayer history with what she did," Rupert said.

"So you think your girls are strong enough to deal with these Original vampires?" Liz asked worriedly. "I'm really concerned about the party tonight. I have a bad feeling."

"Why don't we go crash it? It won't be the first teenage party I've found myself attending," Rupert admitted.

"I'm the sheriff. My daughter would never forgive me," Liz said regretfully.

"Oh, yes. There's that," Rupert said, noticing her uniform for the first time. She was very pretty, so he hadn't realized she was still dressed for work. "Well, let me assure you that Buffy and Willow are two of the most capable women I've ever known. Buffy doesn't know how to fail. And Willow learns more all the time how to access the power within her."

Liz felt relieved at his assurances. There was something so solid and trust worthy about him. His accent was very appealing, too. She could listen to him talk all night. "That's good to hear," she said with a smile. The server arrived with her food. "Won't you join me?"

Rupert smiled and nodded. "I think I will," he said. He gave an order to the server. "So Liz, tell me about yourself."

Liz almost choked on the bite of food as he focused all his attention on her. It'd been too long since a man found her interesting.

****** _The Salvatore Boarding House*_ *****

Willow stopped by the Salvatores before going to Elena's party. Faith opened the door. "Come on in, Will. Join the party," Faith said.

Willow stepped inside and the house was silent as a tomb. "Party?" Willow asked.

"It's a barrel of laughs here," Faith said sarcastically.

"Where's Stefan?" Willow asked. She didn't see him.

"He and Damon were out earlier. He just got back a bit ago. He's up in his room," Faith said.

"So how's it going?" Willow asked.

Faith shrugged. "Okay, I guess. He had a girl here yesterday that he fed on, but he didn't kill her," Faith said.

"That's good," Willow said her eyes brightening.

"Well, I think Damon gets most of the credit for that," Faith said.

"Very true," a voice behind them said. They looked and saw Stefan leaning against the doorway. "Damon has become a bit of a drag lately."

"It's a good thing he's around because I'd hate to kill such a pretty vamp," Faith said with a smirk.

Stefan moved away from the door way and stalked toward her. "You know, you keep threatening me. But I just don't believe you," Stefan said confidently. "I don't think at all driving a stake through me is what you want to do." He moved to stand in front of her, intentionally crowding her. She refused to back down and dared him with her eyes. "I can think of something far more pleasant to drive into you."

Willow's mouth fell open at Stefan's blatant sexual come on. The heat the two of them were generating was tangible. She took a step away from the molten couple and waited to see how Faith would respond. Faith surprised her by leaning closer and putting both her arms around Stefan's shoulders. She gave him a sultry look. "You want to go another round? You know slayers have stamina you can only dream about!" she said. She moved to whisper in his ear. "I can ride you so long and so hard that you'll never look at another woman again." She nipped his ear. When his hands reached out for her, she laughed and stepped back. "But I don't sleep with murderous fiends. At least not knowingly. Get your bloodlust under control, vamp, and I'll consider giving you some of my time."

Stefan worked hard to control his response to her tease. His eyes were threatening to vamp-out and all his blood was rushing to the part of him that wanted desperately to be inside of her. She was like a living flame. He wanted so much to be consumed. The moment was broken by the ring of his doorbell. He let out a breath as she walked away to get the door.

"Uh, Faith, can be a bit of tease. She's also a bit crazy sometimes. Don't let her get to you," Willow advised, feeling some sympathy.

"She's incredible," Stefan said in awe. They both looked as Faith reappeared.

"Stefan, Rebekah is here to see you. She assures me she comes in peace," Faith said dubiously.

Stefan went to the door and saw a vision of loveliness he hadn't seen in ninety years. "Rebekah. It's been a long time," he said. "Come in." He stepped back to let her in.

She smiled at him. "When Nik told me you were here, that this was your home, I wanted to see you," Rebekah said.

"You've met Faith and Willow?" he asked.

"Hi, I'm Willow," Willow said, flashing her a friendly smile.

"Hi," Rebekah said with reservation. This little slip of a girl was who had her brother so worried? It seemed so unlikely.

"We weren't introduced yesterday," Willow said. "So how are you finding the 21st century?"

"A bit overwhelming," Rebekah admitted. "But this town is nice." She looked at Stefan. "How have you been?"

"Fine. I went several decades without killing humans until your brother made me accompany him on a killing spree this summer," Stefan said stonily.

"My brother has kept me in a coffin since the last time we met. I'm not privy to everything he's been up to," Rebekah said.

"So why are you here?" Stefan asked bluntly. "I hope you're not thinking you and I will pick back up where we left off. Been there, done that. Not interested."

Willow winced in sympathy at Stefan's cold rejection. Rebekah had a very expressive face. For a moment, the hurt was visible on her face. Then she took a breath and gave him an equally cold look. "I don't recall asking," she said haughtily.

Faith snickered. "Burn!" Faith explained. "You tell him, sister. He thinks he's God's gift."

"You're brother compelled me not to care, so I don't," Stefan said flatly. "Not about you, not about anything. He thinks turning off my humanity will make me his little lackey. Well, you can tell him that he can go to hell. He can burn this town to the ground for all I care." His eyes flashed with fire for a moment before the cold look was back in his eyes. He turned and walked away.

"Well, he's a barrel of fun," Faith said sourly. "You can show yourself out," she said to Rebekah. Then she left them to make sure Stefan didn't sneak out of the house.

Rebekah looked a bit lost for a moment, so Willow said, "I guess I'll head out. Do you need a ride?" She assumed the girl hadn't had a chance to get a car and probably sped here with her super speed.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Rebekah asked suspiciously.

"'Cause I'm a nice person!" Willow said with a smile.

"But you know what I am and who I am," Rebekah pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'm a witch and a lesbian. I get judged wrongly all the time," Willow said.

"Well, okay," Rebekah said a bit apprehensively. She followed the redheaded witch to her car. When they got into the car, Rebekah said pointedly, "I like men. Just so you know."

Willow grinned. "I did too once," she said, flashing Rebekah a wicked grin. Then she started the car. Rebekah was stunned by the girl's brassy claim. These 21st century girls were so bold.

****** _The Lockwoods******_

Caroline observed the crowd of people that were here for Elena's birthday. The turn out was great, the music was perfect, and the drinks were flowing. Everything was perfect except for one thing. She glared over at Tyler and the girl he was talking to. He spent the past two months with Caroline nearly every day, yet he brings _her_ as a date.

"Careful, Care. Your death glare may set someone on fire," Elena said.

"Who do you wanna kill?" Dawn asked.

"I can't believe Tyler brought Slutty Sofie as his date to my party!" Caroline fumed.

" _Your_ party? I though it was mine?" Elena said, grinning. She laughed when Caroline looked guilty.

"You know what I mean!" Caroline said. The boy in question looked up at her, obviously overhearing their conversation with his K-9 ears. He smirked at her and leaned down to whisper something in his date's hear, knowing it was making Caroline jealous.

"If you want to be with Tyler, you should tell him," Elena encouraged.

"If he wants to be with me, he should make a move!" Caroline replied, throwing a glare toward Tyler.

Tyler decided the charade had gone on long enough, and he headed toward Caroline. Matt came up and wished Elena a happy birthday. Then he turned to Dawn. "So, ah, would you like to dance?" he asked her.

She gave him a happy smile and held out her hand. The two walked away as Tyler stopped in front of Caroline. "I'm going to get a drink," Elena said, leaving the pair to work it out. When she moved behind Tyler's back, she turned and gave Caroline two thumbs up. Then she turned away to give them some privacy.

"So are you done shooting me death glares?" Tyler asked with a knowing smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Caroline replied in a haughty tone. She crossed her arms and tried to look indifferent.

"If you wanted to be my date, all you had to do was tell me," Tyler said pointedly.

Before Caroline could reply, they were interrupted. "Well, mate, I don't think she needs you as a date when she has me." They looked to see Kol standing next to them. He had appeared unnoticed.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked, not liking the new guy.

"Someone who wants you to go away," Kol said. He stepped closer to Tyler and used compulsion. "Go away. You already have a date that needs your attention." Tyler turned and walked away.

"What? You compelled him! You can't do that!" Caroline fumed. Why wasn't the idiot wearing vervain? Didn't he know anything by now?

"Actually, I'm happy to see that I can!" Kol said smugly. "You're not good for a chap's confidence. Glad to know not everyone is immune to my charms!"

"Tyler shouldn't have been able to be compelled either. He's an idiot!" Caroline said in irritation.

"I agree. You deserve so much better," Kol said easily. "May I offer you a compliment?"

Caroline looked at him suspiciously. He found her attitude refreshing. "You look so lovely tonight," he said, giving her an admiring look. "Would you do me the honor of giving me a dance?"

Caroline tried to look annoyed, but he was smiling so charmingly and Tyler's idiocy really pissed her off. It should be him asking her to dance. But no. The stupid werewolf was dancing with that fake blonde Sofie. She remembered Buffy's suggestion to get to know the newest Original. "Just one dance," she said in agreement.

Kol grinned in triumph and held out his hand.

Elena was watching the interaction between Caroline and a new guy with a frown. "Who is that guy?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid that's my younger brother, Kol," Elijah said, suddenly appearing next to her.

Elena looked up at him in surprise. "Elijah!" she said, her surprise evident. "I didn't expect to see you here." Buffy had been sure that he'd make an appearance, but Elena hadn't really believed it.

"I'm sorry. Kol was determined to come, and I thought it best if I came to keep an eye on him," Elijah said.

"And no other family members are here?" Elena prodded.

"No, Elena. Niklaus isn't here," Elijah assured her.

Elena's relief was apparent. "Good," she said.

Elijah reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small box. "Happy birthday, Elena," he said as he handed her the box. "I hope it's alright that I give this to you. It's just a small token of my esteem and my regret for the harm my brother caused you. I'm very sorry about your aunt Jenna. She was a lovely lady."

Thinking about her aunt Jenna brought tears to Elena's eyes. So many people she loved weren't there to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. "I always thought my mom and dad would be wishing me a happy birthday when I turned eighteen. Not only are they not here, but Jenna had her heart ripped out right in front of me by your brother," Elena said bitterly. "I'm sorry, Elijah. I know you mean well, but a token isn't going to make up for what your brother took from me."

Elijah couldn't help but be moved by the young woman's pain. Like he had, she had lost people she cared about. When his youngest brother died and then his mother, Elijah had been devastated. A thousand years had passed, and the pain never went completely away. "I know," he said, compassion in his eyes. He held out the small box again. "I don't expect you to forgive or forget what was done to you and your family, Elena. I have lost love ones. I know and understand your pain," he said. "This is from me. A gift for your friendship. Please take it."

Elena knew he was sincere and accepted the gift. "Thank you," she said quietly. She opened the box. Inside was a bracelet threaded together with interlocking silver chains. The small charm dangling from it looked familiar. She pulled it out of the box to examine it closely. A small red gem surrounded by silver alloy was recognizable. "This looks like my necklace. The one Stefan gave me."

"Actually that necklace used to belong to my sister Rebekah. I noticed it looked familiar when I met you, but I wasn't sure until Niklaus told me about his time with Stefan and Rebekah in the 20's," Elijah shared. "It belonged to my mother. It was a set. This bracelet is a smaller replica of the necklace. I added a touch of vervain as Stefan had the foresight to do. Maybe it will offer you some means of protection."

Elena was deeply touched by the gift and his thoughtfulness. "This is too much. If it was your mother's, you should keep it," she said.

"The necklace went to Rebekah. This went to me. If you want, you can give Rebekah back her necklace. Consider it a trade if it helps," he said with a gentle smile. He reached out to take the bracelet. "Allow me." She held out her hand while he put on the bracelet. It struck her that two very old vampires had both given her gifts that belonged to their mother's. However, unlike Damon, she didn't believe Elijah's feelings were more than friendship.

Elena reached up to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, Elijah," she said.

Across the room, Buffy came in flanked on each side by two very attractive men. "I feel like the belle of the ball. I have the hottest escorts here!" she boasted, grinning at both men.

Damon smirked. "It's nice of you to throw Rick a bone. He's been pretty pathetic lately," Damon said.

"As least I don't spend all my energy obsessing over unavailable women," Alaric jabbed back.

"Ouch!" Damon said with a wince. "That's a low blow, man! Remember, I'm the dick in this relationship. You're the sad but loveable drunk."

"I'm not a drunk!" Alaric protested hotly. He gave Buffy an embarrassed look.

She felt compelled to defend him. "I haven't seen him drunk once since I've been here," Buffy defended.

"That's 'cause he's drunk on your hotness!" Damon teased, giving Alaric a knowing look.

Buffy laughed out loud at Damon's audacity. He was a true rogue. Then she noticed Damon's face. It lost all evidence of joviality. "I don't believe it!" he said, a note of anger in his voice.

Buffy looked to see what had captured his attention. Elena was involved in a close conversation with Elijah. It looked like Elijah had given her a gift. Buffy figured it was a bracelet because she held out her hand, and he put something around it. When Elena reached up to kiss Elijah on the cheek, she could hear Damon's sudden intake of breath. "Hell no! What is she thinking?" Damon asked in disbelief. He headed toward them.

Buffy exchanged a glance with Alaric. They followed after Damon.

"Elena," Damon said in a clipped voice when he made it to their side. "Elijah," he said in acknowledgment. He knew better than to challenge the too calm vampire. He reached out and clamped his hand around Elena's wrist. Without a word, he dragged her unceremoniously away from the older vampire.

Buffy was going to go after them, but Alaric grabbed her arm. "Don't. Damon won't hurt her. He attacks when cornered," Alaric said.

"I've noticed," Elijah said in amusement. "He must be misconstruing Elena's kiss. It was one of friendship. As was the gift I gave her."

"I hope so," Alaric said sourly. One unpredictable vampire in love with his young charge was enough of a worry. He didn't need to start worrying about Elijah, too.

"So are you here alone?" Buffy asked Elijah.

"No, my brother Kol is here," Elijah admitted. He gestured to the dance floor. They saw the younger brother dancing with Caroline.

Out on the dance floor, Tyler was eying Caroline and her so-called date. He didn't understand why he had walked away so easily from Caroline. What was wrong with him? He decided he needed a drink. "I'm going to go get us some drinks," he told Sofie.

Walking away from the dancing, he went and grabbed a drink. After drinking it down, he reached for another. He glanced outside the nearby window and saw a man he didn't recognize motioning to him. Frowning, he looked closer. The guy kept motioning. It wasn't Klaus, so Tyler wasn't too concerned. He stepped outside. "Do I know you?" he asked the guy.

"No. I'm Finn. My brother sent me to come get you," the guy said, wearing a bored expression.

"Who's your brother?" Tyler asked curiously.

"I think you call him Klaus," the man said. Then before Tyler could react, the guy hit him hard. When Tyler crumpled to the ground, Finn sighed. His brother better hold up his end of the bargain. He had very little stomach for a life of violence. Finn reached down and easily picked up the young werewolf. He threw him over his shoulders. In a blur, he was gone.

***** _*To Be Continued*_ *****

_I crave your reviews like a vampire craves blood! :)_


	16. Party Encounters

****** _Where We Left Off at the Party**_ ****

Damon was dragging Elena away from Elijah without a word. Elena did not appreciate his high-handedness.

"Stop it, Damon! What is wrong with you? Let me go! You were really rude to Elijah!" Elena fumed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Shame on me for not kissing the butt of the traitorous Original who went back on his promise to kill our biggest problem," Damon said sourly. He stopped and faced her, letting go of her hand.

Elena gave him a disapproving look. "Klaus is his brother, Damon. It's not so easy to kill a brother no matter how deserving they may be. Ask Stefan," she said pointedly. "He never gave up on you."

Damon frowned at the reminder but refused to be detoured. "Why are you kissing on him? Are you insane? Are you _trying_ to make our lives worse?" Damon asked sourly.

Elena had enough of his boorish behavior. "Yes, Damon, that's always my goal. To make my life and everyone else's worse because I haven't had enough misery," Elena said sarcastically. Then she turned and stomped away.

Buffy and Alaric came up after she left to console him. "Cheer up, buddy. It could've been worse," Alaric said.

"How's that?" Damon asked.

"She could've slapped you!" he offered with a grin.

"Well, take it from a girl who was once her age and whose sister is her age," Buffy said. "Don't try controlling her every move or dictating to her. It will never end well."

"Good luck convincing him of that," Alaric said, slapping Damon on the shoulder. "I'm going to go grab us a drink."

After he left, Buffy said, "You care a lot for Elena, don't you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Damon said with an eye roll.

"I was sixteen when I feel in love with a vampire. Angel was sweet and caring and felt the weight of his past crimes so strongly. I loved his compassion," Buffy shared.

"Sounds like Stefan," Damon said.

"If that's the way Stefan is when he's not off the rails, I can understand Elena's attraction," Buffy said.

"How come you're not with him now?" Damon wondered.

"Well, he has this pesky Gypsy curse. One moment of happiness and he loses his soul and turns into someone much like the Ripper but worse. No humanity, no hope of reasoning or reaching him," Buffy said.

"I guess that didn't end well," Damon said, speculating.

"No, it didn't. After he had his moment of happiness with me, he turned into Angelus-his evil alter ego. As Angelus, he hated me as much as Angel loved me. He lived to torment me and hurt those I love. He killed a friend, almost killed Willow, and opened up a hell dimension that almost destroyed the world," she said frankly.

Damon's eyes widened in surprise. "You're making me appreciate Ripper Stefan more and more," Damon said.

"The vamps I'm used to dealing with are soulless demons. They have no humanity. They are a shell of their human forms. It's basically like a demon takes up shop inside their bodies. It looks and talks like them, but it's not them," Buffy said.

"So what did you do to stop your boyfriend?" Damon asked.

"What I had to do. I put a knife through his heart and used his blood to close the door to the hell dimension, sending him straight to hell," Buffy said, a haunted look in her eye at the memory. It was too hard to share how he had been himself when she had done it. Even after all these years, it was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.

"Wow!" Damon said, momentarily speechless at her confession. "And how old were you when this happened?"

"I wasn't yet eighteen. A few months younger than Elena is now. I grew up fast just like she's had to grow up fast. I'm sure Stefan's love came at a time when she really needed it," Buffy guessed.

Damon knew that was probably true. Insight into the slayer's own fire and determination at a younger age gave him pause. His instincts about this woman had been right. She was made of steel and didn't know how to give up on anything or anyone. His admiration for her grew. "You aren't wrong," he said, responding to her last comment. "She doesn't have your superpowers, but she has an amazing strength and a beautiful heart. It drew me in from the beginning. When I came to this town, I only wanted to torture Stefan for making me be a vampire, to make him suffer. Kind of like you said Angelus did to you. Instead, she reached out to me. She and Stefan forced my humanity to the surface."

"It must be hard to be in love with your brother's girl," Buffy observed, feeling compassion for him.

"You have no idea," Damon said quietly. "Stefan deserves her, though. I know he messed up with this Faith girl. And he's not himself. But he was only with Klaus to save me. He gave himself over to Klaus to get a cure for the werewolf bite. I was dying. He is always saving me. And how do I repay him? By falling in love with his girl." Damon's disgust with himself was apparent.

Buffy reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You can't always help who you fall for. I fell for an unlikely person after Angel. Someone I had once hated with all my being. People change, and they surprise us," Buffy said. "You hadn't tried to seduce her or steal her from your brother, have you?"

Alaric came up to over hear her remark. "He better as hell not have!" he said darkly. He handed Buffy a red cup.

"No, of course not!" Damon said.

"Well, maybe you should give her some space. Let things be. Let her heal and focus on yourself for a while," Buffy advised. "Have some fun that doesn't revolve around your brother or Elena."

"And she doesn't mean going to the darkside fun," Alaric said, giving Damon a knowing look.

Damon wanted to shake off the morose cloud, so he grinned and held out his hand to her. "How about we start now? Wanna dance?" he asked.

Buffy looked at Alaric, who smiled his permission. "As long as you're a gentleman," Alaric said meaningfully. He took back Buffy's cup.

"Now what fun would that be?" Damon said with a wicked grin, pulling Buffy out on the dance floor.

Alaric shook his head watching Damon. Damon always did love to dance, and it looked like Buffy was the same. The two of them threw themselves into the dance with obvious relish. He smiled watching them.

Elijah came up and stood next to him watching the couple dance. "This slayer is unexpected," he observed.

Alaric looked over at the Original in surprise. He never quite knew what to make of Klaus's older brother. "What do you know about slayers?" Alaric asked. "You've lived a long time. Surely, you've heard of them. I know history is your thing."

Elijah nodded. "Yes. My brother tends to focus only on the things that interest him. I focus on everything. I knew of slayers, and I even befriended one once. She was a lovely Irish lady. So fierce. So strong and utterly fascinating," Elijah shared.

Rupert came up to Alaric and the man he was talking to. After a delightful dinner with Liz, he had promised her that he'd check in on her daughter and the party. He saw Dawn and Buffy both dancing, obviously enjoying themselves. It was nice to see that. Good times were rare in the life Buffy had to live. When he saw Alaric, he headed toward them. He got close enough to hear the man's comment to Alaric. He got excited. This must be Elijah, one of the Originals. "Pardon me," he said with his typical British politeness.

Alaric turned and saw Giles. It was funny how Buffy didn't call him either Rupert or Mr. Giles but simply Giles. "Giles. I see you made it," Alaric said.

"Well, I promised the sheriff I'd check in and make sure the kids were behaving themselves," Giles said.

"So far so good," Alaric said. He gestured to Elijah. "Elijah, this is Rupert Giles. He is Buffy's mentor and teacher. Her Watcher."

Elijah's eyebrow came up in interest. "A watcher? Really? It's been a long time since I've heard that term," he said. He held out his hand. "Elijah Mikaelson. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your charge is a remarkable young lady."

Giles' British soul instinctively responded to the man's old-world mannerism and speech. It reminded him of his childhood, and he smiled warmly. "It's very nice to meet you. I was hoping to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. I'm something of a historian, so I have many questions I'd love to ask you."

"Something of a historian?" Alaric asked in disbelief. "Buffy told me you could read just about every dead language human and demon that there was and knew just about everything about everything."

Giles looked embarrassed. "She exaggerates. I assure you. No offense, but Americans are amazingly ignorant at times and lazy when it comes to their education. She is easily impressed," he said dryly.

"I have noticed that about many different people groups in this century," Elijah said. "With all the technological advances you find, it's sometimes startling that you still find an unlimited reservoir of stupidity."

Giles laughed, feeling he'd found a kindred spirit. "So what were you saying about knowing a slayer? Tell me. I've been trying to figure out how we didn't know about your existence. There are no records," Giles said.

"That would be my doing," Elijah said. "My brother tends to act first and think later when it comes to our survival. He eliminates all threats normally without preamble. He can't always be reasoned with. I have kept our worlds separated as much as I could. When I came across my first slayer about 600 years ago or so, she tried to kill me. I found her formidable and unlike other woman of her day, so I followed and observed her for many days. I saw her battle other worldly creatures until one of them eventually killed her. Regretfully, I had thought she was immortal. She was so fierce and so strong, so I didn't try to stop the creature. I regretted her death and began listening for reports of girls like her."

"Really?" Giles asked, practically giddy with excitement. He wished he had a tape recorder. So many of the Council's records were destroyed. He must start a new archive. His mind was already busy formulating tasks that he'd need to accomplish.

"Yes," Elijah said. "Then I met Fiona, another slayer about 100 years later in Ireland."

Giles eyes lit up with recognition. "Fiona O'Donnell?" he asked.

"Yes. That was her name," Elijah said nodding.

"She was one of the few who lived past her twenties if I remember correctly," Giles said.

Elijah smiled. "I did my best," he said.

"You? You helped her?" Giles asked in surprise.

"When you live so long and must sometimes do horrible things to survive, there comes a time when you must do more or lose your humanity completely," Elijah remarked. "Fiona was bold and sassy and fierce. I have met very few humans who can come close to her."

"You loved her," Alaric observed, surprised. The original seemed so removed sometimes that to think of him loving a woman jarred him.

Elijah nodded his head slightly. "I did. But like all humans, her death was inevitable," Elijah said sadly. "She wouldn't let me turn her."

"No, she wouldn't have," Giles said knowingly. "Even though you may be quite different than the vampires slayers are compelled to kill, it would've gone against her very being to become both a slayer and a vampire."

"Imagine the power, though," Alaric said, thinking about it.

The idea was startling to Giles. "Slayers spend so much time fighting and just trying to survive," Giles said. "I can't imagine the idea of an eternity of fighting would suit them. Or preying on humans to survive. There weren't blood bags back then."

"Very true. Pretty much her exact feelings," Elijah admitted.

"I couldn't imagine Buffy wanting to be immortal," Giles said. "She died once a few years ago saving her sister. She said she was done. She knew it. It was her time, and she knew peace. Willow and her friends worked some dark magic and raised her from the dead a few months later. It took Buffy a long time to get past it. Unlike Willow's fear, Buffy had not been in hell but heaven. Coming back to life and having to spend every moment fighting wasn't easy for to accept."

Both men were startled by his revelations. "I can't really wrap my mind around that even though I heard about it already," Alaric said shaking his head.

Elijah was shaken to hear Giles' words. Not just the revelation of the witch's power but the proof he'd been searching for all these years. "Heaven? It's real? She knows this for certainty?" Elijah asked in interest. He worked hard to control his desperation for answers.

Giles nodded. "She said there was no suffering, only peace. She knew only happiness," Giles said. "She believes that if you fight the good fight in this life, one day you will be rewarded. I think accepting that was what gave her renewed drive and energy to keep fighting."

The implication of the man's words shook Elijah to his core. "We must speak of this again," Elijah said. "I must go for now. Maybe we can meet again soon and talk."

Giles said, "I'd like that. Let me give you my number." The two men exchanged numbers, and Elijah left.

He knew that his brother had plans for the party, and after talking to Buffy's teacher, Elijah had no desire to be a part of it. To think that one day he could find true redemption was more than he had ever hoped or dreamed of. It changed everything.

***** _To Be Continued_ *****


	17. Party Shenanigans

****** _Same Time, Same Place******_

Dawn couldn't believe that she was finally at a real party dancing with a totally hot boy. The party had yet to be crashed by zombies, demons, or vampires. Well, there were vampires, but not the bad kind. The fast song turned into a slow song, and Matt gave her a questioning look.

"Do you want to keep dancing?" he asked.

"If you do," she said, not overly confident about herself.

"Well, I can think of worse ways to spend my time," Matt said, giving her a slow grin. He pulled her close as the music played. It was nice to be around a normal girl. Dawn may have a superhero for a sister, but she was as normal as he. It seemed forever since he'd spent time with a normal girl. He and Elena were so long ago, and Caroline was never very normal even when she was human.

Elsewhere on the dance floor were Kol and Caroline. "One dance I said," Caroline said stubbornly when the music changed to a slow song.

"Come on, angel. I've been behaving myself, haven't I? I haven't snacked once on any of your guests," Kol said with a wolfish grin.

"Oh, so thanks for that. You're a real prince," Caroline said sarcastically.

"Are you afraid to be close to me?" Kol asked, daring her with his eyes.

"As if! You flatter yourself!" Caroline said, rolling her eyes.

"Someone has to since you're so cruel!" Kol replied pointedly.

"Fine," Caroline said. "But keep your hands where they belong!"

The two moved together and were unaware that they were being observed by so many eyes. Many were interested in the new guy who had caught the popular girl's attention. However, Klaus watched from a hidden corner, amused as always by the young vampire. He was pleased to know that she didn't find Kol anymore appealing than she did him. She was the kind of gal who liked to make a man work for it. The young pup she was currently infatuated with would never work hard enough for her. He was too spoiled and too self-involved. Klaus watched the blonde slayer dancing with the Salvatore brother, surprised. He had thought Damon only had eyes for the doppelganger. A grin broke out on his face when he watched the teacher and Damon's closest friend cut in.

"I think it's my turn," Alaric said, coming up to Buffy and Damon with resolve.

"Hey, it was just getting interesting," Damon said as he purposely moved his hands down to Buffy's butt.

"If you want to keep those hands, I suggest you move them," Buffy said with icy sweetness.

Damon held up his hands in surrender, grinning. "Can't blame a man for trying," he said.

"Sure, you can," Alaric said, holding out his hand to Buffy. She took it and let him take her into his arms.

Damon turned to find a new dance partner.

"Your friend is quite a character," Buffy said, watching Damon charm some unknown woman into dancing with him. He proceeded to spin the woman out with a flourish and make her giggle as he pulled her quickly back into his arms.

"Yes, he is," Alaric agreed. They watched him for a minute. Then Alaric made a point of moving so they weren't able to focus on him. "I can see why a woman would find his obvious charms appealing."

Buffy smiled at the hint of question in his voice. "Some women might. But not a women who has swore to never date another vampire," Buffy said pointedly, answering his unspoken question.

Alaric felt more relieved than he thought he would at her words. He allowed himself to enjoy himself for the first time in a long time.

****** _The Salvatores*******_

"God, I'm so bored," Faith muttered as she threw down some musty old book she'd picked up. "Do they even have a TV?" she muttered to herself.

"We do. Somewhere," Stefan said as he made an appearance. "I think my Uncle Zach kept it in his room. Do you always talk to yourself?"

"When there's no one else around to talk to me," Faith said with a disgruntled expression.

"Hey, if you wanted my company, you just had to ask," Stefan said with a grin.

"Well, I just love being in this giant, drafty house with nothing to do and no one to talk to," Faith said sourly.

"I'm sorry. I've been a poor host," Stefan said. He sat down on the couch next to her but not invading her space.

"So where's your Uncle Zach at?" Faith asked.

"He's dead," Stefan said flatly. "Damon killed him. He was the last of our line."

Faith's eyes widened a bit at the news. "Really? That blows! I'm sorry," she said. "So you and your brother have sort of switched roles, huh? He's got control and you don't."

"I guess that's one way of saying it," Stefan said.

"So maybe we should start the therapy," Faith said.

"Therapy?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"I'm not here just to vamp-sit you. But to help you learn control," Faith reminded him.

"You're human. What would you know about losing control?" Stefan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'd be surprised," Faith said grimacing. "I'm a murderer."

Stefan was surprised at her bald announcement. "A slayer, you mean," he clarified.

"No. Buffy's a slayer. I strive to be, but no amount of slayage of demons can erase the blood on my hands," Faith said, a shadow in her eyes. She looked down at her hands as if seeing the blood. "A few years back, I let my insecurities push away the one friend I had and my jealousy for the same friend take me to a very dark place. Then I got a taste for the rush of power. Ending a human life feels differently than ending the life of a demon."

"Well, I've only done one of those," Stefan said dryly. "You're referring to Buffy as this friend I take it?"

Faith nodded. "She and I had very different childhoods. Hers was mostly normal and happy until she was called up as a slayer. Mine was dysfunction city. She had a mom that loved her. Then fate gave her a sister, too. She had a man who loved her," Faith said. "I coveted her man, her life. My guilt increased when Angel, the man she loved, turned out to be so much better than I thought he was. Even after I tried to destroy Buffy's life, Angel helped me and eventually Buffy forgave me. She gave me another chance. A chance I didn't deserve."

"She sounds like a good friend," Stefan said. "I had a friend like that once."

"Oh yeah? Where is he now?" Faith asked.

"It was a she. Lexie. Damon murdered her, too," Stefan said coldly.

Faith winced. "Ouch! Your brother has some major issues. Do we need to do an intervention with him, too? Or would you like me to just slay him for you? I know you probably can't bring yourself to kill him, but I could. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. He may not be soulless, but killing vamps is what I do," she offered.

Something flared in Stefan's eyes at the mention of killing his brother. Faith wasn't sure if it was approval or anger at the suggestion. However, her words did succeed in getting a real emotional response out of him. She figured that was an improvement over apathy.

"No, you don't need to kill him. If I want him dead, I'll do it myself," he said flatly. "He's actually been okay now for about a year or so. Loving Elena has improved him somewhat."

"In love with your girl, too? Damn! That man needs some serious help or lessons in brotherly love," Faith said.

"He loves me," Stefan said frankly. "Sometimes too much. Even now that I don't care and am not with Elena, he still won't make a move on her. He will keep her safe for me. Or he'll leave town with me."

"He said that?" Faith asked in surprise. She didn't have a sibling, so she hadn't really observed much brotherly bonding. She knew sisterly bonds, but she wasn't sure men were as capable of such loyalty.

"Yes," Stefan replied.

"Maybe that's what you should do," Faith said.

Stefan gave her a leer. "Would you go with us?" he asked.

She shrugged. "We can't stay here indefinitely. Or both of us can't anyway. One of us needs to get to Ohio soon. The hellmouth there is heating up," she said.

"Ohio, huh? It's a hotbed of evil?" Stefan inquired.

"You'd be surprised. Some small town up in the northern part of the state," Faith said.

"I can't say I've ever spent a lot of time in that particular state," Stefan said.

Faith's stomach growled. "Looks like I need to feed you," Stefan observed. He got up and held out his hand. "Let's go into town and get you something to eat."

"We should buy some groceries if I'm going to be hanging around," Faith pointed out.

Stefan nodded. "Okay. Dinner then shopping," Stefan said. Faith took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

****** _Back at the Party_ *******

Damon was dancing with a girl he didn't know and didn't care about when his eyes saw the birthday girl standing alone watching the dancing. He felt a pang of guilt. It was her party, and none of these stupid human boys thought of asking her to dance. He just didn't get it. She was the most beautiful person in the room, and she stood alone. Without a word or a backward glance, he stepped back from the nameless woman he was dancing with and walked toward Elena.

She watched him make his way toward her with her face devoid of emotion. He stirred so many things in her that she always felt a bit off centered around him. She so didn't want to be Katherine and go back and forth between the two brothers or destroy their relationship. What Katherine did had them fighting for over a hundred years. Now they were in a good place, and she didn't want to ruin that.

"How is it that the most beautiful girl here is standing alone and not dancing?" Damon asked her when he made it to her side.

"No one asked me," she said quietly. Once she was turning down dates, but ever since her parents died it was like no one knew what to say to her anymore. Or maybe she had changed too much.

Damon held out his hand. "Well, let me be the first. Elena, may I have this dance?" he asked formerly.

She smiled and gave him her hand, the one that was covered in Elijah's gift. Damon glanced down at it but didn't say a word. He didn't want to fight with her anymore tonight. In no time at all, he held her in his arms as the music changed to another slow song. "I'm sorry. I'm a dick," he whispered into her hair.

"It's okay. I know you worry," she said. "I can't help but sense the good in Elijah. He's not his brother." She pulled back so that she could see Damon's eyes.

"Maybe not. But I still don't trust him," Damon said flatly. "No one knows better than I the bonds between brothers. I thought making Stefan suffer was my goal when I came back to Mystic Falls."

"What made you change your mind?" Elena asked.

"Someone reminded me that I could still feel the love I had for him if I let myself," Damon said, giving her a look. "When I killed his best friend Lexie, I knew I had went too far. But he forgave me somehow. He's always doing the right thing."

"Yeah, that's why it's hard to let him go," she said sadly.

Damon stopped dancing and looked down at her. "Then don't, Elena. He needs you," Damon said.

"I'm tired of being sad, Damon," she said.

Across the room, still lurking and eavesdropping was Klaus. He knew much more about the players in a very short time. Damon was the most surprising. Klaus didn't know how he felt about hearing about Stefan from Damon. He was determined to have Stefan be on his side, but he didn't have the pull of true brotherhood aiding him. If Stefan could forgive Damon for so much, it'd be hard to break that bond. Damon was going to be his greatest obstacle Klaus thought. He'd have to do something about that eventually. First, it was time to have some fun. His sister had arrived, so he had a bit of time. He walked toward his brother Kol and the lovely Caroline.

"I believe this next dance is mine," Klaus said firmly catching his brother's eye. Kol grinned knowingly. He loved baiting Klaus.

"I don't think the lady will agree," Kol said.

"No, the lady won't. I'm done dancing," she said. "You got me dancing three dances somehow. I'm thirsty."

"Well, Kol can go attend to things," Klaus said giving his brother a look. "I will show you what dancing with the most powerful being on earth feels like."

"You weren't supposed to be here. Buffy's going to kick your ass," Caroline stated.

Klaus flashed that sexy dimple of his. "I will enjoy having her try. But I may have to kill some of the party goers here. I think that may put a damper on your party's success," Klaus said, holding out his hand as his brother stepped back.

"You're an ass," Caroline said angrily as she put her hand in his.

"Maybe so, love. But that's not all I am," he said as she grudgingly let him pull her into a dance.

For a minute, they didn't speak. Caroline tried to calm her pulse, knowing he would take pleasure out of her discomfort. His nearness had a peculiar effect on her. She frowned, not liking it. He caught her eye and gave her a wolfish grin. "It's okay, love. There comes a day when every girl has to awaken and realize something," he said.

"Realize what?" Caroline couldn't help asking.

"That she has only been with boys. That she has no idea what a man can do. The control he can have," Klaus said. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "The pleasure he can bring her."

Caroline's mind flashed a moment to the one man she'd been with. Damon Salvatore had wavered back and forth from an incredible lover to a nightmare without control, feeding on her like she was his favorite lollipop. Caroline pulled back. "Oh, didn't you know? I dated Damon last year. He's very much a man. He didn't show me much control, though," she stated sourly.

Something dark flashed in Klaus's eyes causing her to swallow a bit nervously. Maybe shouldn't have shared so much.

Their date was interrupted by a determined voice. "I don't believe you were on the guest list," Buffy said.

They stopped dancing and looked at the slayer. She had Alaric by her side, and Damon quickly moved in behind her, Elena a step behind him. He held out his hand pushing Elena back, so she stepped back a bit, away from the action.

Klaus caught his brother's eye across the room and nodded. In a blur, Kol reached out and grabbed Elena, putting his hand over her mouth. Before anyone could notice, she was gone.

Klaus grinned in pleasure. It had been so very easy. Like he knew it would be. Caroline pulled away from him and moved to align herself against him with her friends.

This was going to be so much fun!

_******TO Be Continued******_


	18. Party Showdown

_******Still night of the Party but starting from a different angle******_

Willow drove into town with Rebekah. "So where to?" Willow asked.

"Like I'm going to tell you were we live," Rebekah said with an arch of her eyebrow and a small smile playing on her lips.

"Can't kill a girl for trying," Willow said, unashamed.

"I could, but I won't," Rebekah said.

Willow grinned. "And I thank you for your restraint," she said dryly.

"I hear you're pretty powerful," Rebekah commented.

"I can hold my own. I've gotten pretty good the past year or so," Willow admitted. "Once I could barely float a pencil. After I met Tara, it was like my magic just poured out of me. It was such a rush. But then she was murdered. After that, I went over to the darkside, and things got really ugly. But now I'm in control."

"Darkside?" Rebekah asked.

"I was using dark magic," Willow said, losing her smile at the memory.

"But you don't now?" Rebekah inquired.

"No. I've learned balance. At first ,I was afraid to use any magic but that turned out badly. Then Giles introduced me to some witches in Great Britain that taught me some things, and Buffy believed in me. So now I'm pretty amazing if I do say so myself!" Willow said with a grin.

Rebekah smiled, finding her amusing. "Who's Giles?" Rebekah asked.

"He used to be our school librarian and Buffy's Watcher. He's like always been the adult we could turn to. He's very British, but knows just about everything about everything," Willow said.

"Your teacher," Rebekah guessed.

"Yep," Willow said. She pulled into the square and parked in front of Mystic Grille. "So do you want to get out here, or maybe you can come with me to the party at Tyler Lockwood's?"

"You're inviting me to a party?" Rebekah asked in surprise.

"Sure. I mean as long as you don't, you know, try to nab Elena or start fighting with Buffy. Stefan won't be there," Willow said.

Rebekah smiled. "Okay. I'd love to go to a party," Rebekah said.

Willow put the car in reverse and pulled back out. "So it's a plan then," she said happily.

"The last party I went to was with Stefan and my brother Niklaus. We were at a club. It was in the 20s," Rebekah said remembering.

"You and Stefan were really a couple?" Willow asked.

"Well, we weren't heart and flowers. But it was fun. He was sweet and wickedly delicious," Rebekah said with a sigh.

"He is pretty hot," Willow agreed.

Rebekah looked at her in surprise. "I thought you didn't like men?" she asked.

"My first crush and first love were with men. I discovered women in college," she said, smiling. "I met Tara, and she changed my life. She showed me how much more I could be in every way."

"The must be nice. To have had someone like that," Rebekah said wistfully. "I've lived for a thousand years, and I don't think I could say that about a single person."

"Really? That's kind of sad," Willow said, feeling sorry for her. She pulled into the Lockwood's. Dawn had her drive there earlier in the day to help with party planning, so she had no trouble getting there. She had to park very far from the house due to all the cars.

They got out of the car. "Sorry we had to park so far away," Willow said.

"Not a problem," Rebekah said, holding out her hand. "Give me your hand. I don't have magic, but I can move pretty fast."

Willow gave Rebekah her hand. "Well, I don't think..." her voice cut off as Rebekah pulled her against her, and in a blink, they were in front of the house. "Oh my God! You moved so fast that I could barely feel the wind!"

Rebekah gave her a pleased look. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at her with admiration. She's almost forgotten what it felt like.

They went into the packed house, the music blaring. "Oh, I love this song! I used to date a guitarist, so I love music. Please dance with me!" Willow said, grabbing Rebekah's hand and dragging her into the fray of bodies.

The music was fast and pulsating, and Willow was so carefree and guileless. Rebekah didn't know what to make of her. Willow wasn't at all what she expected, so she joined her out onto the dance floor.

******* _Mystic Grille_ ********

Faith laughed in disbelief. "I don't believe you! You're lying!" Faith said incredulously. They had eaten and somehow ended up exchanging tall tales. "You partied with Bon Jovi?"

"I'm telling you it's true. Lexi was always compelling her favorite idols to idolize her. She didn't kill humans, but she enjoyed playing with them," Stefan said with a grin.

"Wow! I'm so jealous! That must've been so cool!" Faith said with envy.

"It was," Stefan said. He took a drink of his bourbon. What he really wanted to do was take a drink of her. When she laughed, she lit up so bright. It took all his control not try to drink from her delectable neck.

Faith was finding Stefan to be very charming. It was both disconcerting and surprising. In fact, she didn't know what to make of him at all. She and Buffy had been trailing the bodies he'd been leaving, so she knew firsthand the evil he was capable of. She also knew that right now with his emotions switched off he had no remorse for what he had done or regret for the lives he's taken. And yet, she found herself drawn to him. It was really starting to bother her. If she could think of him like Angel, it'd be okay. But he wasn't Angel. He didn't want to atone for his wrongs or make things right. In fact, all he cared about at this moment was either screwing her or draining her. She knew it because she could see it in his eyes.

"So we better go," she suggested, a touch of regret in her voice.

"Why?" he asked.

"You are finding me too appealing, and I've had a pleasant time with you. I don't want to end the night having to fight with you," Faith admitted with a frown. "You need blood."

"Are you offering?" Stefan said suggestively.

"Never going to happen," Faith said firmly. "If you're a good vamp, I may give in and rock your world again 'cause face it—you're pretty damn hot—but I will never be making a deposit in the Salvatore blood bank."

"Never say never," Stefan said with a smirk.

Faith got up from the table. "Never," she said with a grim look. "Let's go. We'll get you some blood."

He followed her out of the Grille. "What do you have in mind? I'm not in the mood for blood bags. You are too tempting," he admitted, giving her a heated look.

Faith thought about it a moment. She knew that Buffy wouldn't like this, but she figured if they were going to teach the man some control, they may as well hit the ground running. "So many of the vamps you know can feed on humans without killing them?" she asked as they walked down the nearby alley. They were going to need less eyes watching for what she had planned.

"Yes, Lexi always could. But she mostly switched to blood bags when they came in existence. Less work. Damon can if he wants, so could Katherine, the woman who sired us," Stefan said. "For me, it never works. One taste of blood and it's like I black out. I can't stop."

"Yeah, I know," Faith said dryly, remembering the bodies. "You'll need to focus on something you want more than blood."

"Right now, I want you more than blood," Stefan said and before she could react he had her up against the wall and was devouring her mouth.

A wave of hot lust hit Faith as the sexy vampire kissed her more hungrily than she'd ever been kissed before. His passion was intoxicating. Despite her resolve, she found herself responding to his kiss and kissing him back. Normally the aggressor when it came to sex, his boldness and strength excited her. When he broke off the kiss and began sucking on her neck, it took all of her control to keep from crying out in response. Her neck was very sensitive. Then she felt the barest hint of teeth, and she froze. Quickly, she pushed up and shoved him hard, creating some space between them. They both looked at each other, the heat blistering between them. Faith took a deep breath, striving to calm her racing heart. She knew that he could hear it and probably smell her arousal.

"That's enough," she finally spit out.

"Not nearly enough," Stefan said and stepped back toward her.

She held up a hand and glared at him. "No! You do not have control. If you bite me, I will kill you," she said flatly.

"You might find it enjoyable. Some do," Stefan said.

"You can't even control yourself when the woman isn't someone you know. I can't imagine your control during sex would be very stellar," Faith pointed out.

Stefan frowned. He hadn't thought of that. He wouldn't be happy if he accidentally killed her. Then he'd never get a taste of her again. Not any kind of taste. "Okay," he said in resignation. "Then what's your plan?"

Faith saw a man walking by. "Compel this man," she ordered.

"Man? I don't feed on men!" Stefan said in distaste.

"Maybe you'll find it easier to control yourself with a man. Ever thought of that?" Faith asked. "I'll be here to knock you in the head if you get carried away."

"Gee, thanks," Stefan said.

"Hurry up!" Faith ordered. "Sir! Please, help me!" She got the man's attention, and he stopped walking. She motioned for him to come.

The man walked over and eyed Stefan warily. "Do you need help?" he asked.

Stefan moved and quickly compelled him. "Don't be afraid. Don't make a sound and don't fight me," he ordered. After a quick glance at Faith, he bent down to bite the man's neck. However, it felt unnatural, and he gave Faith a cross look.

"Maybe you shouldn't go for the neck," Faith suggested. "Isn't that a trigger for your lust anyway?" She reached down and handed him the man's wrist.

Stefan nodded in approval. That made more sense. He bit into the man's wrist and began feeding. The entire time, he kept his eyes locked on Faith, focusing on her eyes, her lips, her perfect breasts. When she held up her hand for him to stop, he found that he could.

Faith turn off the edge of her t-shirt and wrapped it around the man's wrist. She smiled at Stefan in approval. "I knew you could do it if you really tried," she commented.

Stefan compelled the man, and the man left. He wiped his mouth, knowing traces of blood would turn off the slayer. "It was easier than normal," he admitted.

"So we'll pick men and stay away from the neck," Faith said, smugly. She turned to walk toward her car. "Time for grocery shopping."

"Don't I get a reward or something?" Stefan asked hopefully.

"I'll buy you a cookie," she said, grinning.

Stefan shook his head. "That wasn't what I had in mind," he said dryly.

Faith laughed. "We'll see," she said noncommittally.

Stefan sighed. As a Ripper, he wasn't used to waiting or being denied. Although his blood lust was sated, his hunger for her was growing every minute. He didn't know if he could control himself around her. "Maybe you should go shopping without me, and I'll meet you back at the house. I need to calm down a bit," he said. He pulled out his wallet and gave her the credit card. "Spend as much as you want. Damon pays the bills." He grinned at her and was gone.

Faith looked down at the card in bemusement. The vamp was just full of surprises.

****** _Back at the Party_ ******

The music had changed to a slow song, and Rebekah felt really uncomfortable. She wasn't about to slow dance with a woman. "Okay. That's enough dancing," she told Willow.

"What? You don't trust me?" Willow asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I just don't slow dance with women," Rebekah said bluntly.

"There's a first time for everything. It's fun the way I do it," Willow said. She held out her hand. "Trust me. It'll be fun."

Rebekah didn't know why she was considering the young witch's offer. Maybe because the woman was hard to figure out; she was different. Maybe it was because they were enemies, but the witch treated Rebekah like a friend. Whatever the reason, Rebekah found herself giving Willow her hand. She was a bit taller than the witch. Willow took her hand and put it on her waist and grabbed her other hand and positioned it in the same place. Then she put her hands on Rebekah shoulders. "It's okay. First times are scary," Willow said softly.

"I'm not scared. I'm not afraid of anything," Rebekah declared, lifting her chin as if waiting for a blow.

"Remember you said that," Willow said, smiling. "This is how I loved to dance with Tara. I don't figure much will impress a thousand-year-old vampire, so I thought I'd give it a try."

Suddenly, Rebekah felt them slowly lift off the ground—not very high. However, they were definitely not touching the floor anymore. Rebekah couldn't hide the look of awe on her face. The young woman had managed to surprise her. "How did you do that? I didn't hear you speak a spell," Rebekah said.

"I don't need spells for minor things like levitating or telepathy," Willow said. _I don't need words to speak to you_ , she spoke into Rebekah's mind.

Rebekah's eyes widened in real shock. Not even her mother's best friend could do such magic. "You are incredible," Rebekah said looking at her in admiration. "I've known a lot of witches. My mother was a witch. I may have been one if I hadn't been turned."

"Really? You're mother? Was she the one who turned you into a vampire?" Willow asked.

Rebekah nodded. "Yes. She was trying to save us from the werewolves my brothers had angered against us. She thought it was the only way to save us, but she didn't realize she had damned us," Rebekah said with bitterness.

Willow frowned. "You aren't damned. You have a soul. Anyone with a soul can be saved. Just don't follow your brother's less than stellar example," Willow said meaningfully. Their eyes held a moment. Rebekah had trouble accepting the girl's conviction. She really meant it—she thought Rebekah could be saved.

"Speaking of my brother," Rebekah said as her eye caught sight of some commotion in the room. She gestured over to the other side of the room where Klaus was facing off with Buffy.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted," Willow said as she casually sat them back on the ground. "In case I don't get a chance to say this later, I had a really good time." She moved slightly upward and placed a soft closed mouth kiss on Rebekah's lips.

It was so fast that Rebekah didn't have time to respond. She was surprised to find that she didn't feel freaked out by Willow's gesture. It wasn't really sexual but sweet. Then she grabbed Rebekah's hand and walked toward her friends and Rebekah's troublesome older brother.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked Klaus. "You weren't invited, and no one wants you here."

"No reason to be rude. I just came to sweep the young vamp here off her feet," he said, giving Caroline a smile.

"Yeah, right," Caroline said doubtfully.

"Don't sell yourself short, love," Klaus said, smiling at her.

Rebekah and Willow joined the group. Willow moved to stand next Buffy with Rebekah standing next to her brother and on her other side.

"Glad you could join us, sister," Klaus said, giving Rebekah a warm smile. His hawk eyes didn't miss the hand holding, and Rebekah pulled her hand away and stepped away from Willow.

"So is the immortal hybrid misbehaving?" Willow asked.

"Just being here is misbehaving," Buffy said, annoyed at the hybrid's presence at Elena's party.

"Well, I can leave. I got what I came for," Klaus said smugly.

Not liking the look in Klaus' eye, Damon looked behind him. Elena was gone. He quickly scanned the room, seeing no sign of her. He marched over to Matt and Dawn. He grabbed Matt's arm, not caring that he was interrupting their dance. "Have you seen Elena?" he asked Matt.

"What? Elena? No. What's wrong?" Matt asked. Dawn looked around and saw that her sister was close by in a fighting stance staring at some guy Dawn didn't know.

Damon ignored Matt and walked back to Buffy. Matt and Dawn trailed behind.

"Elena's gone," he announced.

All eyes look to Klaus. Willow looked at Rebekah and frowned. She gave Willow a sad little smile but said nothing. Willow wouldn't be the first person to hate her because of her brother.

"Where is she?" Buffy demanded.

Willow closed her eyes and scanned the minds in the room. She found Bonnie. Elena's missing. _Look for her outside_ , she ordered. Bonnie broke off from the group she and Jeremy were hanging with and immediately searched a nearby room before looking outside. Jeremy followed her looking for his sister. "She's not in the room anywhere," Willow told them.

Caroline's eyes widened in realization. "Kol! It must've been Kol. He's gone," Caroline said. She looked around the room and couldn't spot the man. "He took her."

"Give her to us!" Buffy demanded.

"Or what? You can't beat me to death. Your nifty magical scythe isn't here, and oh, your witch, well, I'm not worried about her," Klaus said dismissively. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag. He poured some powder in his hand. Then he stepped up to Willow, who was too curious to feel threatened by his odd actions. He blew the powder in her face, and she fell in a heap to the ground.

"Nik!" Rebekah cried out in disapproval. She moved to check on the witch, but her brother grabbed her hand.

"Party's over for us, sister," he said. Then in a blink, the two vampires were gone.

"Willow!" Buffy exclaimed, going to the floor to check on her friend. Giles pushed his way to them.

"What's going on? What happened?" he asked as Buffy checked her pulse.

"She's alive," Buffy said in relief. However, she still wasn't stirring.

"It's a mystical enchantment of some sort," Giles told them. "The effects will probably just be temporary."

"One of his witch friends gave him a new toy to play with," Damon said in annoyance. "I can't believe I let them take Elena! She was right behind me!"

"That's on all of us. Not just you," Buffy said. "Help me carry Will out of here." Damon bent down and easily scooped up the witch.

Bonnie and Jeremy met them in the hall. "What happened?" she asked in concern.

"Klaus had some type of magic powder that he blew in her face. It knocked her out," Caroline said.

"I couldn't find Elena," Bonnie said.

"What happened? I thought you guys were supposed to be protecting her!" Jeremy said hotly. Alaric looked guilty while Damon glared back at him.

"It happened in like two minutes. One minute she was behind me, and then she was gone," Damon said in disgust. He was really pissed at his own carelessness and didn't need the younger Gilbert making it worse.

"Let's get Will home and then you can do a locator spell," Buffy said to Bonnie.

"I'll go tell Tyler," Caroline said. She got out her phone to call him, figuring it'd be easier than wasting time looking for him. He didn't answer. She scanned all the downstairs rooms and didn't see him. She found Sofie, his date standing in line for the bathroom. "Where's Tyler?" she asked.

"He went to get me a drink like forever ago, and I haven't seen him since. I figured he ditched me," she said crossly.

"It's his house. Where's he gonna go?" Caroline asked in annoyance. She raced upstairs to his room. He was nowhere; he was gone.

Buffy and Damon were just getting Willow into the car when Caroline made it back to them. "Tyler's gone, too," she said.

"What do you mean gone?" Damon asked.

"What does gone mean, Damon? He's not anywhere in the house. He's missing!" Caroline said.

Giles and Alaric exchanged a look. "That's not good," Buffy said.

"The doppelganger is missing as is the only werewolf in town," Giles said with a frown. "He's going to try to make Tyler a hybrid."

******* _Elsewhere*******_

Elena opened her eyes. She was in a hospital. Her kidnapper was sitting in a chair watching her. He smiled to see her awake. "Who are you? Why am I here? What happened?" she asked.

"So many questions!" he said grinning at her. "I am Kol. The youngest and hottest of the Originals!" he declared. "You are here because my brother wishes you to be. I took you because he asked me to."

"Do you always do what your brother asks?" she asked sourly. She looked and saw her arm had an IV attached to it, but she was not getting medicine. "What are you doing to me?"

"Gosh, you ask a lot of questions," Kol complained. "We are just taking some of your blood. You may not have to die, so don't be so alarmed. We're going to test a theory. As for always doing what my brother says, well, when it suits me. He did box me for a hundred years the last time I pissed him off, so I pick my battles."

A nurse came in. She smiled and checked the machine and then turned to Kol. She was obviously under compulsion. "This should about do it. It won't be safe to take anymore," the nurse said. When he nodded, the nurse moved to pull out the IV and placed the blood bag in a container off to the side.

Kol got up from the chair. "Well, Elena, thanks for your donation. Feel free to call your friends and let them know you're okay," he said. He reached out and grabbed the small cooler. "Please tell your friend Caroline that I didn't hurt you. I kept my promise." He waved and strolled out of the room.

Elena felt disorientated. She didn't know how much time had passed. She saw her bracelet on the table next to her. He must have compelled her to go to sleep. He knew about the vervain in the bracelet. Elena wondered if this was why Elijah gave it to her. He had known his brothers' plans. Elena reached out to grab the hospital phone. She dialed Damon's number.

"Hello?" Damon asked.

"Damon, it's me," Elena said.

Damon closed his eyes in relief. "Thank God! Where are you? Are you okay?" he asked. Buffy and Alaric looked up the tone of Damon's voice.

"I'm okay. I'm at the hospital. I need a ride home," she said.

"Hospital? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No. I'm not. Kol had me hooked up to an IV and drained some of my blood. I feel weak, but I'm okay," Elena said.

"I'm on my way. Sit tight," he said. He hung up the phone and said, "Elena's at the hospital. She says she okay. They took some of her blood."

"He's going to use it to make a hybrid," Alaric said.

"Or kill Tyler trying," Buffy added grimly.

"I'll go get Elena and then we can worry about wolf boy," Damon said as he headed to the door. He didn't care about Tyler at all. Sometimes he wished that he and Stefan could just grab Elena and leave the town and these people behind. That's the thing about caring about others. It obligated you to care about those they cared about. Damon sighed. Elena may look like Katherine, but the number of people she cared about was proof she was Katherine's opposite in every way. At times, it was a real pain in the ass.

***** _Chapter End******_


	19. Surprise Betrayal

****** _Later that Night_ *******

When they arrived back home, Rebekah glared at her brother. "What did you do to Willow?" she demanded.

"I just put her out of commission awhile," Klaus said. "Why are you feeling so protective, little sis? She's the enemy."

Rebekah couldn't meet his gaze and looked at Finn, who was half listening. "She was nice to me. I like her," Rebekah admitted.

"Well, I'll try not to kill her, but I can't make any promises," Klaus said. He turned to Finn. "Where's the wolf?"

"In the other room," Finn said.

"Any problems?" Klaus asked.

"No, of course not," Finn said.

Klaus got out his phone and sent off a text message. "Thanks, brother. In return, I have sent Sage a message. She should come directly," Klaus said. "That is if she still cares about you."

Finn nodded. 900 years had passed. He couldn't imagine that the woman he once loved enough to turn into a vampire even remembered him. However, the hope of it was very appealing.

They went into the next room to find that the Lockwood boy was tied up and unconscious. Klaus smiled in satisfaction. "Everything went as I planned. We are just waiting for Kol," Klaus said.

Elijah appeared. "I see your plan is in motion," Elijah observed, looking at their hostage.

"Without bloodshed. I can use finesse when necessary, brother," Klaus said with a grin.

"Elena is unharmed?" Elijah asked.

"Kol should be here in a minute to give his account, but he was told to be gentle. There wasn't any problem taking her," Klaus said. "I disabled the witch easily enough."

"Don't think that trick will work again, Nik," Rebekah said. "I spent time with Willow. She's not like the witches we know. She is so much more. She can use her mind in extraordinary ways."

"Like how?" Klaus asked. It always paid to know the enemy.

"She can use telepathy, and she can levitate. And she doesn't need spells to do it. The power comes from inside her," Rebekah shared.

"Not only that but she can raise the dead," Elijah supplied. "The watcher told me that Buffy died once saving her sister. She was dead and buried—not simply resuscitated—and the witch used magic to bring her back to life."

"Really? How impressive!" Klaus said. "A worthy foe. As is this slayer."

"Willow said that she doesn't use dark magic anymore. She loses control," Rebekah shared.

"And what pushes her to lose control?" Klaus asked. It seemed the witch had a weakness.

"Well, she said it was the murder of her girlfriend Tara," Rebekah shared.

"Giles told me something else. Something much more important than your hybrid plans," Elijah said, interrupting them. "The witch brought Buffy back from the dead because she was convinced that she was trapped in a hell dimension. But she wasn't. She was in heaven."

"What?" Rebekah asked in surprise. "You're not serious!"

"The watcher said that Buffy had trouble adjusting to being back here fighting all the time when she'd been in a place of happiness. Not pain. Only joy," Elijah shared. His eyes were lit up with excitement at the possibilities.

Klaus frowned. He didn't like where this was going. "Why should that concern us? We're immortal," he said.

"Because there's hope for us, brother. A chance at redemption," Elijah said. "We can bring some good into this world and be rewarded in the next life."

Finn got up, finally engaged in something that was being said. "You mean we are not damned for our existence?" he asked in wonder.

"Buffy and her friends believe that if you fight against evil, you will be rewarded," Elijah said.

"Willow said that we have souls, and we aren't damned," Rebekah said.

"Who cares about damnation when you're never going to die?" Klaus said, already bored with the discussion.

Kol arrived carrying a small ice chest. "Here you go," he said, handing Klaus the blood.

"Any problems?" Klaus asked.

"Piece of cake," Kol said. He looked around the room and saw the serious expressions of his siblings. "What did I miss?"

"Elijah here was telling us that the slayer died and was in heaven," Finn said. "We can have a life of meaning and purpose. Finally." He closed his eyes in relief. He didn't have to be cursed.

"We are immortal. Heaven is a dream for mortals," Klaus said dismissively.

"How do you know that we won't someday be destroyed?" Elijah said. "There are hell dimensions. We could be sent to one of those for all our crimes."

Klaus laughed. "Let's not get carried away," he said in annoyance at the direction of the conversation. "We have the blood, and we have our werewolf. Let's see if we can get our hybrids."

"We don't care about your hybrids," Elijah said.

Klaus got angry and took a step forward, challenging Elijah. "I am the head of this family! I make the decisions!" he exclaimed angrily.

Elijah stepped forward until the two were facing off. "You forget yourself, brother. _I_ am the elder. You may be stronger, but you are _not_ in charge. That is the right of the first born. That is _my_ birthright," he said coldly. "Not even you can take that away from me. Dagger me and replace me with your hybrids if you like. If blind obedience is your aim, then so be it."

"You're my family! You are supposed to be on my side!" Klaus demanded, a note of petulance in his voice.

"We are on your side," Kol assured him. He looked at Elijah questioningly.

"I will not do harm to the slayer or Elena. Both are selfless women who care about others more than themselves," Elijah said flatly.

"If they don't interfere, I won't harm them," Klaus said.

"Well, from what I could tell from Willow, that's pretty much what they do. They interfere," Rebekah said dryly.

"They won't interfere with this," Klaus said with determination as he walked toward Tyler. He slapped the young werewolf somewhat gently. "Wake up!"

Tyler opened his eyes. A look of alarm filled his eyes as he realized the situation. Dread filled him as he saw and recognized Elijah. "What do you want?" he asked Klaus.

"You know what," Klaus said. Then without further discussion, he reached down to test his theory.

******* _At the Summers' House_ *******

"Is she okay?" Giles asked Buffy when she came downstairs.

"Yes. She's just tired. Losing blood will do that. I made her eat and drink some juice to restore her fluids. She should be fine in the morning," Buffy said.

"I can't track Tyler," Willow said. She had woken up an hour after they arrived home. However, she wasn't up to her normal speed.

"You should rest," Buffy said.

"No, it's not that. Bonnie could easily do the locator spell. But Klaus' witch friends are blocking him. We can't track him," Willow said.

"It wouldn't matter at this point," Alaric said. "He has Elena's blood. If he just needs her blood to make Tyler a hybrid, he probably won't waste any time doing it."

"For Tyler's sake, let's hope Elena's blood _is_ the key," Willow said.

"Yes, that may be good for Tyler, but not for the rest of us. If Klaus is able to make these werewolf-vampire hybrids whenever he wants, that is going to be a major problem," Buffy said with a frown. "We made it too easy for him. The slippery little bastard didn't stay and fight like I thought he would."

"It may be time to call in reinforcements," Giles suggested.

"Yes, a show of force may be what Klaus responds to. He's not careless but very calculated. If we can't destroy him, maybe we can contain him or deter him somehow," Buffy said.

"Bonnie and I are working on a spell that can put him on ice for long term at the very least," Willow said. She yawned.

"Go to bed. Rest," Buffy said. Willow nodded and headed upstairs.

"I'm going to call Xander before I got to bed," Giles said. "Have a goodnight."

After everyone left, Alaric looked at Buffy. "We should probably get some rest. In the morning, Jeremy and I will scout some empty houses and see if we can track down where Klaus and company are holed up," he said.

"Good idea," Buffy said. "Well, I guess I'll head to bed." She turned to walk away when Alaric reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her up against him, surprising her.

"I had a really good time tonight up until Elena was snatched," he said with a mischievous grin.

Buffy smiled, finding him surprising and incredibly appealing. "Yeah, me, too," she said.

"So you're much stronger than me," Alaric said.

"Yes," Buffy said with a small nod. "Does that bother you?" He wouldn't be the first guy who didn't like being the weaker one.

"No. Not at all. I love strong women," he said grinning. "But if I try to kiss you, will you deck me?"

Buffy laughed. "Well, I guess you'll have to try it and see," she said, daring him with her eyes.

Alaric took the bait and leaned down to kiss her. His kiss was gentle and sweet the way a first kiss should be. Buffy smiled at him when he pulled back. "That was nice, but I bet we can do better than that," she challenged. Then she pulled his head back and kissed him passionately causing his hands around her waist to tighten their grip. The kiss went on and on until a need for air forced them to break the kiss off.

Alaric looked a bit shocked when they separated. He still held onto her. Buffy couldn't help but laugh at his surprise. "I knew it would be like that," she said. She stepped away from him. It wasn't time to take this further. A part of the man was still grieving for his lost girlfriend. Buffy didn't want to be anyone's rebound girl.

"Buffy, I..." his voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say. He was attracted to her and drawn to her, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for something this explosive.

"Hey, it's okay. We're not on a timetable here," she said. She smiled. "Good night."

She went up to her room. It seemed that this town was full of so many surprises.

****** _The Next Day_ ******

Damon and Caroline were having breakfast at the Grille with Jeremy and Elena. Bonnie was supposed to join them, but she hadn't arrived yet. Alaric went to get some maps of the town, so they could begin their search.

"I don't care how much you guys are in love with the slayer and the witch," Damon was saying. "I don't want us depending so much on outsiders. We need to locate Tyler ourselves."

"And do what?" Elena asked. "We can't go up against the Originals. We're not strong enough."

"Well, I seem to recall Stefan and I holding up just fine against Elijah," Damon reminded her.

"That's because he didn't want to kill us," Elena replied.

"He doesn't want to kill _you_. He needs your blood. Since you were able to come to the Grille unmolested, we can assume that Tyler's probably a hybrid by now," Damon said grimly. "If Tyler had died, Klaus would've already come after you. He must need you alive."

"Well, that's good," Caroline said. She felt guilty that Tyler had been snatched by the very man she'd been dancing with while she was dancing with the man who ordered the kidnapping. How did that happen? She was disgusted with herself and wanted to slap both Original vampires. Hard.

"Have you tried calling Elijah?" Jeremy asked.

"No," Elena said. She got out her phone and dialed his number.

"No need," Damon said, gesturing to new arrivals. Elijah and Rebekah had entered the diner.

Elena got up and headed toward them. Her friends followed. Damon made sure he arrived to face Elijah at the same time she did. He wasn't going to let Elena make another deal or give Elijah room to get entangled in their lives again.

"Elijah, where is Tyler?" Elena asked.

"Good morning to you," Elijah said, a note of rebuke in his voice. She had forgone the niceties that were always important to him.

"We don't have time to be polite. Your whack job of a brother kidnapped Elena last night and drained her of several pints of blood," Damon said sourly.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Elena said.

"Where's Tyler?" Caroline asked impatiently. "Is he dead?"

"No, he's not," Rebekah said. "He's much more than the pathetic werewolf he used to be."

"He was never pathetic!" Caroline said hotly.

"Oh, is he a special friend of yours?" Rebekah asked coyly.

"Where is he?" Caroline demanded.

"He is with Niklaus," Elijah supplied. "And unfortunately, that's probably where he'll stay."

"He's not bound by the moon any longer. He owes Klaus everything now; Klaus has his allegiance," Rebekah said, a bit too smugly for Caroline's liking.

"Allegiance? Are you insane?" Caroline asked incredulously. "Your brother is a nut job if he thinks he can just snatch up Elena whenever he wants to go make his hybrids."

"I'm bored. Let's order breakfast," Rebekah said to Elijah, tired of the young vamp's prattle. She hadn't cared about Klaus' pet or his plan to make more of them. However, it was important to her brother, and she loved him. As far as she was concerned, it was done.

Elijah gave Elena a regretful smile, and they moved to walk to a table. Caroline, however, was pissed off at the woman's dismissive attitude. She moved in front of Rebekah. "I'm not finished talking to you," she said sourly.

"Well, I'm done talking to you. If you're pissed at my brother, go find him and yell at him," Rebekah said in annoyance.

"Where exactly could we find your brother?" Jeremy ventured to ask.

"He's around," Rebekah said. "Now get out of my way."

"Make me!" Caroline said angrily.

"Bex," Elijah warned.

"She's asking for it," Rebekah defended. She pulled back her hand and hit Caroline, who went flying over an empty table. The couple nearby jumped up in alarm. Elijah sighed in resignation and went to compel the couple. No sense in causing a scene.

Damon decided Elijah had a point and compelled the remaining diners to leave and not recall what they saw. When he turned around, Caroline was getting up and launched herself at Rebekah. Inevitably, she was no match for the much older and more powerful vampire. She managed to hit Rebekah once before she was put down again. Damon moved to interfere, fearing Rebekah may lose her temper and kill the young vampire.

He grabbed Caroline and turned her away from Rebekah. When Rebekah moved to grab her, Damon shoved her hard. "You wanna go a round with me, Barbie Klaus? Fine. I'm not so easy to kill," Damon said hotly.

Elijah sighed warily. It was too early for this. "That's enough, Rebekah," he said sternly. She immediately pulled back and glared at them.

"She started it!" Rebekah said defensively.

"Yes, I know," Elijah said grimly. He looked at Elena. "You should go. Your friend Tyler is fine. I'm sure he'll be around soon, so you can see for yourself. No harm was done to him. And I told my brother that I would not harm you or your slayer friend."

"Gee, that's awfully nice of you," Damon said sarcastically. "Too bad your word means jack with us."

Elijah ignored Damon's insult and walked to a table. Rebekah followed.

"Hey, let's go," Jeremy said. "Rick sent me a text. He has a few ideas on where Klaus is hiding at."

"I wouldn't be foolish," Elijah admonished Elena. Then he turned and sat down at a table with his sister.

They headed outside. They were about to get into Damon's car when a voice called out, "Caroline!"

Caroline looked up and felt relief course through her when she saw Tyler. He quickly made it to her side.

"I was so worried! Are you okay?" she asked as she embraced him.

"I have never been better!" he said excitedly. "Klaus did it, Care. My curse is broken. I never have to change into a wolf again!"

Caroline looked concerned and glanced across the top of the car at Damon. "Well, I guess that's good. So what happened?" she asked.

Tyler looked at Elena. "Your blood was the key. The other werewolves went insane and died, but I didn't because I drank your blood. It unlocked the curse," Tyler told her.

Behind Damon, Kol appeared. "Now Tyler is one of us," he said with an arrogant grin. He moved and grabbed Jeremy, breaking his neck. Elena screamed. Before Damon could respond, Kol was on him and snapped his neck, immobilizing him.

Caroline looked at Tyler for help. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I think I could've loved you," he said sadly. Then he moved and snapped her neck. As she fell to the ground, Elena looked at them in horror and dismay.

"I don't understand! How could you do that, Tyler? We're your friends! Caroline cares about you!" she said.

"She'll be fine. I just needed her out of the way," Tyler said. He grabbed Elena's hand. "Come on."

Kol reached down and picked up Damon and threw him over his shoulder.

Elena tried to pull back her hand. "I'm not going anywhere with you! What are you doing with Damon?" she asked.

"Elijah has forbid us to hurt you, and he is my favorite brother, so I don't want to disappoint him. But no one's perfect," Kol said with a cocky grin. "Come with us without fighting, and you can see what we have planned for Damon."

"You'll be fine, Elena. There's no way Stefan will let Klaus hurt you. He loves you," Tyler said.

Elena's eyes widened in realization. They were going to use her and Damon to get to Stefan somehow. She prayed desperately that Alaric had found their location.

*******TO BE CONTINUED********


	20. A Hard Blow

******* _Where We Left Off*******_

Alaric pulled up to the Grille next to Damon's car. He jumped out of the car when he saw the prone figure of Jeremy. He checked his pulse. There was none. Relief coursed through him when he saw that Jeremy had on his ring. However, he couldn't be certain his death was supernatural in origin. A groan erupted from the other side of the car. He raced around the other side of the car and saw Caroline stirring. Bending down, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Caroline opened her eyes. "I can't believe it!" she complained.

"What happened? Where's Elena and Damon? Who killed Jeremy? Was it a vampire?" Alaric asked anxiously.

She nodded. "It was Kol. He did the same to Damon, and Tyler was with him," she said, getting up. "Tyler was actually happy that he was a hybrid. Told me he was sorry and then broke my freakin' neck!" Hot anger washed over her.

"Help me get Jeremy into the car. It'll be a bit before he revives," Alaric said. They got him into the backseat. "Follow me to Buffy's. We'll find them."

_*******The Salvatores'*******_

Stefan smiled at Faith as she stretched and jumped around on the balls of her feet. The girl had more energy than any woman he'd ever met—human or vampire. She had woken up this morning restless. The lack of action was getting to her. _Or the lack of killing_ he thought dryly. The woman may not admit or realize it, but she had more in common with him than she knew.

After donning a sports bra and some body hugging leggings, she had located their long abandoned ballroom and cleared out a space. The clothes she had on filled him with all kinds of hunger. Her luscious breasts were cradled but not pushed flat by the tight contraption that she had on. Her delectable curves were on prime display in her so-called workout clothes. Although he had dim memories of seeing Elena in a similar get up, he could not remember feeling this out of control when he viewed her.

Faith bent down and touched her toes, stretching. She looked up at Stefan, a wicked glint in her eyes. She couldn't wait to knock him around a bit. The man was entirely too cocky.

Stefan smiled. "So are you going to show me what you can do?" he asked leaning in the doorway.

"I'm loosening up. Give me a minute," she said. She moved to the other side and proceeded to back-flip across the room. Then she popped up on her feet with ease, not even out of breath.

Stefan clapped. "Impressive," he said.

"Buffy likes to think she's the only one that can do that!" Faith bragged. Then she gave Stefan a "come here" gesture and got into a fighting stance.

"You won't try and stake me?" he asked with a cocky smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "No. This isn't about slaying but practice. Gotta stay sharp. Don't want to lose my edge. One day I'm going to be better than Buffy," she bragged.

Stefan walked toward her. "You're not now?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well, I have more fire and sometimes I can take her. But she's more of a strategic thinker with her fighting. She's better at anticipating moves and using anything she can as a weapon," she said.

"So you guys aren't born knowing how to fight?" Stefan asked with interest.

"We have strength and fast healing powers and supernatural reflexes, but we aren't necessarily programmed knowing _how_ to fight. It's a bit instinctive, though," she replied. "Buffy was more reluctant about it than me. She saw it as a real drag and burden when I first met her. I, of course, love everything about being a slayer!"

Stefan wasn't surprised to hear that at all. "She doesn't like being superhuman?" Stefan asked.

"She had a perfect, normal life before she became a slayer, and she always wanted to go back to it," Faith said.

"I take it she got over it," he observed. The woman didn't seem unsatisfied with her life now.

Faith nodded. "She's accepted it. I guess dying and being yanked out of heaven put things into perspective," she said.

Stefan opened his mouth to ask another question, but Faith attacked. He moved fast to dodge her.

"No vamp speed yet. I need to practice. If you don't stand still, we can't trade blows," she said sternly.

Stefan chuckled. "Fine," he said. He moved fast but not super-fast and charged her. Without hesitating, she punched him in the face.

For some reason, he was surprised. However, she didn't stop and swung back again. He was forced to deflect her blows. They moved in a dance, trading blows, deflecting hits. Stefan was hard pressed to defend himself because she was relentless, and he wasn't used to fighting. Usually, his vampire speed and strength didn't make it necessary. He especially wasn't used to fighting someone that could use their legs as well as their feet as a weapon. When he didn't get his guard back up in time, she hit him hard in his stomach, causing him to gasp. Before he could recover, she swept his legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground.

He laid dazed for a moment. She grew concerned and peered down at him. "You okay?" she asked.

He held up a hand for her to help him to his feet. Instead of rising to his feet, he pulled her down on top of him.

"Oof," she said. She glared at him and moved to get up.

However, he wrapped his arms around her and moved quickly to reverse their positions. They both were breathing heavy, and the heat that was always there between them flared hot. Stefan decided not to give her a chance to maneuver. He plundered her mouth before she could twist away. In no time, they were caught up in the kiss. Stefan broke it off and kissed her neck, careful this time to not scrape it with his teeth. However, he couldn't resist sucking lightly, causing her to moan in response. He stroked her bare belly. Then he deftly moved his hand upward and shoved up the sports bra freeing her breasts.

Faith wanted to protest. She knew she needed to stop him. The man was a vampire, and he was not walking on the right side of control. However, her body was aflame. A powerful lust consumed her, making her brain fogging. When his mouth closed over her breast, she cried out. His hand worked her other breast, squeezing it roughly and pinching her nipple.

Never a passive lover, Faith moved her hands under his t-shirt, caressing his rock hard abs. She was moving to tug it off his back when his phone rang, shattering the cocoon of passion that surrounded them. Stefan was determined to ignore it and captured her lips again for another hot kiss. However, the ringing was incessant.

Faith let the sound pierce the fog that surrounded them. She broke off the kiss. "You should answer that," she said on a gasp. This was getting out of hand.

He wasn't going down without a fight. His lips trailed down her very sensitive neck. God, he was so good at this. The phone started ringing again. Steeling her resolve, she pushed at his chest. "We gotta stop!" she ordered.

"No," he said, capturing her lips again. She was delicious, and she was finally responding the way he wanted. Whoever was on the phone could go to hell.

Faith shoved him harder and scooted back, putting some distance between them. "Answer the damn phone!" she ordered. She quickly got to her feet and put some more space between them.

With a loud sigh, he got to his feet and walked to his phone. It was Damon. "What do you want, Damon?" he asked crossly.

"Sorry, chap. But it's not your brother. It's me," Klaus said.

Stefan knew right away that something was wrong. "Why are you using Damon's phone?" he asked. He turned to Faith and mouthed "Klaus". She walked to his side and listened to the phone call.

"Because he's here with me," Klaus said. "And I need you to come to join us."

"Okay, where are you?" he asked. He didn't bother asking why.

"4872 Willow Lane," he replied.

"You're joking," Stefan said.

"Actually, I'm not. I couldn't pass up the irony," Klaus said with a chuckle.

"I'm on my way," Stefan said.

"Don't bring any of your new friends. I have Elena here, too. Wouldn't want the frail human to get hurt," Klaus said before disconnecting.

Stefan looked at Faith. "He has them both," he said flatly.

"I heard," she said. "But why? What would be the point?"

"Me. This is for my benefit. I'm not at his side where he wants me. Damon is a threat to his plans for me," Stefan said, instantly understanding Klaus' intent.

"What, like he's going to try and make you choose?" Faith asked.

"Exactly," Stefan said grimacing.

"We gotta call Buff," Faith said. She went over to the table where she laid her phone.

"Absolutely not. I can handle Klaus. A confrontation with you or her will just make things worse," Stefan said firmly. "He never reacts well when challenged."

"I'm not going to let you go by yourself," Faith said.

"I'm not asking for your permission," he said. "Stay out of it. You could get Elena killed."

"Oh, so suddenly you care about her?" Faith said pointedly.

"I don't want her to die," he said flatly, not rising to the bait.

"You can't deal with Klaus and all his siblings by yourself," Faith said.

Stefan sighed. He knew that unless he knocked her out he couldn't stop her. He was reluctant to hurt her. She was finally thawing toward him. He didn't want to piss her off again. "Fine," he said in frustration. "I will go. You go get your friends. I'll try to deal with Klaus. Don't rush to join me. Give me some time. Please."

"Okay," she said with a nod.

Stefan gave her a hard kiss and then moved so quickly she could barely see him leave. She so envied him that super-speed!

***** _*A Few Streets Over******_

Damon glared at the Original douche bag. "So what do you think you're going to accomplish with this?" he asked. He was tied up to a chair. So far he hadn't been able to break the bonds. It didn't stop him from trying. Elena was sitting unbound on a chair with the traitorous Lockwood boy. He was going to be the first one Damon killed.

"I'm going to get my Ripper by my side," Klaus said.

Damon laughed. "You don't know Stefan very well. He can be very stubborn," Damon said.

"You don't need his brother," Kol said in annoyance. "You have us."

"Very true, brother," Klaus said. "And I'm grateful. But one can never have too many allies."

The doorbell rang. Finn answered it and was taken aback to see a ghost from his past. A very beautiful ghost. "Sage?" he asked, looking at his old love in wonderment.

"Finn!" she exclaimed happily. She threw her arms around him.

"See, brother, I keep my word," Klaus said with a smile. He turned away from the happy couple and looked at Elena. "We're about to find out if Stefan is truly over you or not. I, for one, don't think he is. True love never completely dies."

"Where's Elijah?" Elena asked.

"Oh, he and Rebekah are still out. I'm sure they'll be here eventually. But don't count on him to sweep in to save you. He's taking Rebekah shopping. The poor girl hasn't much to wear. Tragic," Klaus said with a smirk. He looked over at his brother who was currently being kissed by Sage. He wasn't surprised when the couple took the show upstairs.

"So what's your grand plan? Going to tell Stefan to pick? Me or Elena?" Damon asked.

"What?" Elena asked in disbelief.

"Like you'd hurt your new blood bank," Damon said with a smirk.

"Oh, I got plenty of blood to make my hybrids. It doesn't take much to seal the conversion," Klaus said.

The doorbell rang again. Kol stepped forward to answer. It was Stefan. He walked in looking bored and annoyed. "What game are you playing now?" he asked Klaus when he spotted Damon and Elena.

"The best kind," Klaus said happily. "I like to call it _Who Do You Really Love_?"

"Let me guess. I'm supposed to pick between Damon, my pain in the ass brother or Elena, my pain in the ass ex-girlfriend? Do you know how much of a bother they both are?" Stefan asked. "Damon killed my only living relative and my best friend. He's always going off and doing stupid stuff and making messes I have to clean up. Not to mention falling in love with my girl."

"Yeah, brothers can be a real pain," Klaus said knowingly. He gave Kol a pointed look.

Stefan walked over to Elena. He sat down next to her, ignoring Tyler who was sitting on her other side. "And this girl. She was fun until she became so unbelievably needy. She never listens. Always doing whatever stupid thing she can to make a situation worse," he said, looking at her with disdain.

"Good try, Stefan," Klaus said, not buying his act.

Stefan leaned forward and said, "You won't kill Elena. That I know."

"You think not?" Klaus asked.

"Elijah will be quite angry with you. Not to mention Elena is the key to your hybrids," Stefan said.

Klaus didn't appreciate not being taken seriously. He got up and broke the end table with one hard kick. Bending down, he pulled out a few sharp pieces of wood. Then he went over to Damon and stabbed him in the stomach, blood gushing out. Elena begged him to stop. But he wasn't done. He grabbed another piece of wood and stabbed him just to the left of his heart. Then he shoved the final piece into his right side. Blood began to pool underneath the chair he sat on.

Stefan worked hard to control his reaction. He'd spent months with Klaus. He knew him well. He got off on playing the puppet master. Stefan refused to play his game.

"What is it you want from me, Klaus?" he asked.

"I want your loyalty. I want you by my side," Klaus said.

"And you think killing my brother will get you this?" Stefan said mockingly.

"He's in my way," Klaus said with annoyance. "He will always interfere. He will always be dividing your loyalties."

"So you set this up so you can kill him? Just do it if that's your plan. Don't make out like I have some power over your decision or influence," Stefan said.

"Oh, but you do," Klaus said. "One of them will walk out of here without any resistance from me or my family." Klaus knew that Stefan had to choose or he'd risk alienating him for good if he just out right killed Damon.

"Sorry, Klaus, but I just don't believe you'd hurt Elena, so I don't want to play your game," Stefan said with a dismissive smirk.

"I'm very serious. She's expendable," Klaus said. "Let me demonstrate." He turned to Tyler, who was still sitting on the other side of Elena. "Break her arm," he ordered.

"What?" Tyler asked in surprise.

"Stefan isn't taking me seriously. Break. Her. Arm," he said, spelling it out in a way that left no doubt.

"You do and I'll rip your f***ing heart out!" Damon threatened.

Elena gave Tyler a scared look. Surely, he wouldn't. "Tyler...please," she said softly.

"I'm sorry. I have to," he said. Then he grabbed her arm and snapped it. Elena's screams rang in the room.

Stefan instinctively turned toward her. He glared at Klaus and bit his wrist. He moved and gave her some of his blood. Although his humanity had been switched off, his love for her was still there if he wanted to feel it. He knew that she didn't deserve torture. Nor did he take pleasure in seeing her suffer. Protecting her was too engrained in him.

"You are a dead little wolf," Damon swore, shooting Tyler an angry look.

"I had to," Tyler said weakly.

"Yeah, just like I'll have to rip your heart out!" Damon bit out.

"See, she matters to you still, Stefan," Klaus said with satisfaction. Stefan didn't hesitate to heal Elena. He still loved her. "I know you don't want her to die. You couldn't have that on your conscience."

"But I can handle the death of my only brother?" Stefan asked, giving him a stony look.

Klaus shrugged. "It's up to you. Who can you live without? Who means more? Only one can be vital to your existence. Choose," Klaus said.

Stefan got to his feet and faced Klaus. "You're saying that I can take one of them out of here with no interference? You'll let us leave and won't have them killed later? I have your word?" Stefan asked.

"You have my word. Whoever you choose will not be killed by me nor will I have anyone else kill them," Klaus promised.

Stefan looked over at Elena who was crying. There really wasn't a choice here. He turned away from her and stepped toward Damon. He reached down and pulled out the wood.

"Ow!" Damon yelled. "What are you doing? Take Elena and get her out of here!"

Stefan ignored him and pulled out another piece.

"Stefan, I appreciate the gesture, but stop! Take Elena!" Damon ordered.

Stefan pulled the last piece and reached in his pocket to pull out his pocket knife. It didn't take him long to loosen Damon's ties. Before Damon could protest further, he grabbed him and removed him from the house.

Klaus watched him go with a frown. He really hadn't thought Stefan would choose his brother. He looked at Elena in displeasure. "Well, that was a waste of time! It seems he doesn't love you as much as I thought," he said to her.

"He's loved me for two years. He's loved Damon for almost two hundred," Elena said starkly. She hadn't been surprised. If she had to choose between him and Jeremy, she'd pick Jeremy.

****** _Outside**_ *****

Stefan only got to the edge of the property before he was stopped by an invisible barrier. He let go of Damon. As soon as he did, Damon shoved him. "What were you thinking, Stefan?" Damon demanded angrily. "How could you leave her in there to die?"

"Relax, Damon," Stefan said. He looked behind Damon and saw Willow and Bonnie.

"Sorry! Didn't know it was you!" Willow called out. Faith, Buffy, Alaric, Willow, Giles, and Caroline were a few steps behind them.

"Relax? You left her!" Damon yelled. He sagged against Stefan, weak from blood loss. Stefan grabbed him and held him up.

"I got you, brother," he said. He looked over at their friends. "Rick, Damon needs blood."

Without hesitating, Alaric quickened his step until he reached their side. "What happened?" he asked, looking at Damon's bloody shirt.

"Klaus decided to play a sick game," Stefan said grimly.

"I can't believe you left her," Damon said weakly.

"I know Klaus. No matter what he said, he'd never kill Elena. Forever's a long time. He wouldn't risk the Petrova bloodlines by killing her. I know it," Stefan said confidently.

"You better be right," Damon said angrily.

"I am. I bet her life on it," Stefan said flatly. He handed Damon off to Rick.

"You always manage to piss people off, don't you, buddy?" Alaric said with a grin as he held up his wrist to Damon.

"Yeah, well, I'm an acquired taste," he said. Then he carefully bit into his friend's wrist, only taking enough blood to heal.

Buffy and Faith watched them without comment. Faith has mixed feelings about seeing a human willingly give a vamp blood. Mostly she thought it was gross. Buffy, on the other hand, wasn't grossed out. She'd given her blood to Angel before. She'd fed Spike blood and watched him drink out of Giles coffee cup too many times to give it much thought. However, witnessing Alaric so easily give the vampire his blood was telling. The bond between the two men was even stronger than she realized.

"So what's going on?" Willow asked.

"Klaus is in there with Kol, Tyler, and Finn," Stefan said. "Well, Finn went upstairs with another vampire."

"That's Sage," Damon supplied. "An old girlfriend of mine."

"You actually had a girlfriend?" Caroline asked with a smirk.

Damon flashed her a grin. "More than just you, Barbie," he said.

"Is Sage going to be a problem?" Buffy asked.

"She's about 900 years old, so I'd say yes," Damon said. "She's been around a long time. After seeing the way she was kissing Finn, I'd say he was the one who turned her." He looked at the slayers and Giles. They were all carrying weapons. Faith had a wicked looking machete, and Giles a wooden stake. "You let the old man fight?"

"He's been in more battles than you probably have," Buffy said. "He knows how to kill a vampire. He may not be much use against Originals, but he can help get Elena to safety at the very least."

"He wouldn't let her leave him behind," Faith explained with a grin.

"I'm standing right here," Giles said crossly.

"So let's get this show on the road," Buffy said. "Is Elena in there?"

"Yes," Damon answered. "Klaus had Tyler break her arm."

"No way!" Bonnie said in disbelief. Caroline looked equally disbelieving.

"Yes, way. And I'm going to kill him!" Damon vowed.

"You can't, Damon! It's Tyler!" Caroline said, upset.

"Your Tyler is now a sired hybrid who only does what he's told," Damon said in disgust.

"Let's get moving before Rebekah or Elijah show up," Buffy said.

"That actually might be a good thing. Elijah won't let Elena get hurt," Bonnie said.

"We can't know that," Damon said firmly.

"Good luck," Stefan said, turning away from them.

Damon reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait! You're just going to leave Elena in there?" he asked in disbelief.

"You got the wonder twins here to help you and the super witches. I doubt I can be of much assistance," Stefan said.

Faith gave him a disappointed look but didn't say anything. He ignored her. "I'm not pissing off Klaus any more than necessary. The man's got a long memory. Katherine's been running from him for 500 years," Stefan said.

"Five hundred years and he still hasn't found her? He must not be looking very hard," Willow said. "Let's go. I'm ready to put these vamps in their place!" She and Bonnie walked toward the house.

The Scooby gang marched ahead while Damon and Alaric stood back with Stefan. "You're really not going to help us?" Damon asked.

"Do you really think I'm needed?" Stefan said.

"Since when do you let me go up against anyone alone?" Damon asked.

"You're not alone," Stefan replied.

"You know what I mean," Damon said crossly. "What about your hot little slayer? What if she gets killed? You know she and Buffy aren't really a match for Klaus."

"No, I don't know that. She's full of surprises," Stefan said with a grin. He slapped Damon on the back. "Keep her safe for me, brother. I'm very close to getting her to give in to my charms again." Then he walked away without a backward glance.

Damon glared after him. They walked toward Klaus's house. "I don't get him," Damon said to Rick. "He just saved my life, so I know my brother's in there somewhere. But now he just walks away?"

"Sometimes we have to make do with baby steps," Rick said.

They made it the front door. "Don't get hurt," Damon said to Rick. Then he thought and turned back to him. "Actually, why don't you just wait outside?"

"Relax, I'll stay in the back with Giles and grab Elena," Rick said. "I'm not looking to get slapped around in front of Buffy or have my neck broken again."

Damon nodded, satisfied. "Okay, then," he said.

"How about we announce our presence?" Willow suggested with a cheeky grin. She linked hands with Bonnie. The front door was blown open with a loud crash, the frame splitting. Bonnie grinned. It was amazing what Willow could do. Bonnie knew that Willow probably didn't need any help from her, but it meant a lot that she took time to show Bonnie the possibilities.

Buffy and Faith entered in front of the witches. Klaus and Kol had gotten up and faced them.

"A bit overdramatic, aren't you?" Klaus said with a grin.

"I don't know. You're like a spoiled little boy who has never heard the word no. We thought we'd get your attention," Buffy said coolly.

"My attention? You have it," he said, losing his smile. He never handled criticism well. It reminded him of his father, whom he could never please.

"Give us Elena or die," Buffy said calmly.

"We're getting quite sick of you snatching her," Willow added. She and Bonnie moved to stand to Buffy's left. Faith was at her right hand.

When Damon came through the door, he didn't hesitate. He charged at Tyler, and before anyone realized his intentions, he shoved his hand through Tyler's chest. "I told you that you were going to die," he said with a malevolent grin.

Tyler's eyes reflected his shock. Caroline screamed and tried to get to Damon to stop him. However, before she could, Damon had pulled his hand out, holding Tyler's heart. Caroline's look of accusation and pain gave him pause. "Sorry, Barbie. He can't be trusted, and he hurt Elena," Damon said grimly.

Caroline caught Tyler's body as it fell in her arms. She couldn't believe it. Damon had just killed Tyler. She looked down in horror. Her eyes filling with tears. Elena was at her side.

Klaus became enraged. "I promised Stefan I wouldn't kill you. But I can draw out the pain so long that you'll be begging me to kill you," Klaus vowed. He nodded at his brother.

Kol stepped forward. However, before he could reach Damon, a green band of energy surrounded him, bounding his arms to his side. It lifted him off the ground and held him immobilized. He couldn't move or even talk.

Klaus looked in surprise at the witches who were chanting. "Don't think that trick will work on me," Klaus said angrily. He stepped toward them. Willow held out her hand and energy flew from her hand and surrounded him. It encased him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Quickly, get Elena," Buffy ordered. Alaric and Giles moved to grabbed her, but Damon beat her to them.

Damon grabbed her arm. "How could you, Damon?" she asked accusingly.

"It needed to be done. He couldn't be trusted, and unlike Elijah, him I can kill!" Damon said unapologetically. He pulled her to her feet and pushed her toward Alaric. "Get her out of here. Don't stop until you're at Buffy's."

When they were gone, Klaus spoke, "Nice try." He exerted some strength and broke through the energy that held him. Kol was unable to do the same and remained bound.

Buffy held her scythe in her hand. "Well, I guess you're going to have to learn the hard way. You don't want to fall in line, you'll be cut down. And I have just the blade to do it," she said and charged him.

Klaus found himself in the unusual position of having to face an adversary with no back-up. However, he remained unafraid and stood his ground. This human would learn not to challenge him. When she reached him, he attacked, hitting her so hard that she flew across the room. Faith took her place, dodging his blow and kicking him hard in the stomach. Damon came from behind and put him in a choke hold. He flipped Damon over his head and exchanged blows with Faith, knocking her machete out of her hands. However, the girl surprised him with her single-mindedness. She obviously relished in the challenge he proposed and wasn't about to give up easily.

He indulged her wish and tested her skills. She was quick, using both her hands and feet to full advantage. She also knew how to dodge. Just when things were getting fun, Buffy made it back to them. Klaus realized that without a weapon, he was at a distinct disadvantage. He moved in a blur and picked up Faith's lost machete and swung it hard at Buffy's head. The girl ducked easily and countered by knocking his feet out from under him. As he momentarily laid on his back, she swung the blade end of her weapon at his head. Klaus quickly rolled and missed the blade. It had been entirely too close. He got up and pressed the attack furiously at Buffy, pushing her back. He had her on the defense when he was attacked from behind. Damon had crept up and shoved a piece of wood into his back.

Damon saw an opening and thought it would be poetic to impale the man with the same piece of wood that had recently been inside him. "How does it feel?" he asked with satisfaction. Klaus roared with outrage at the insult.

Finn had finally decided to drag himself away from Sage to see what the commotion was. He told Sage that his brother had been determined to piss off some vampire slayers. When he got to the top of the stairs, he saw his brother in a furious battle with the blonde slayer. His brother Kol was bound by some type of green band that the two witches must have produced. His brother's new pet hybrid lay dead in his girlfriend's arm. The blonde vampire his brothers were so fascinated with was crying, ignoring the battle around her. Finn hesitated, not knowing if he wanted to get involved. Elijah's words echoed in his mind. _Redemption_. There was hope for him. However, would he find redemption by letting his brother be killed? Maybe his brother could be saved, too, if given the chance.

He walked down the stairs and watched Damon impale his brother. Although enraged, Klaus seemed impervious and kept his hand swinging the machete. Then he turned and used a hard kick to dislodge Damon. Now he faced the two slayers. Coming to a decision, Finn went to Damon before he could get off the floor and snapped his neck. Then the witch tried to move against him; however, he moved and dodged her wave of power. He couldn't bring himself to kill them, though. It didn't seem right. They were just young women after all.

He saw his brother connect a hard blow to the blonde who fell to her knees. Before Klaus could press his advantage, Faith was on top of him. She grabbed the wood Damon had shoved in and pulled it out with a yank, causing Klaus to cry out. He turned to face her, leaving his backside unguarded. Finn saw it all happen as if in slow motion. Buffy got up with her weapon. She raised the blade of the scythe, and Finn didn't think. He just moved to intercept. Would saving his brother save his soul or damn him? He didn't know, but his instinct took over.

Buffy was tired of the dance with Klaus and decided that if she got an opening, she was going to end this. When she got back to her feet, she saw that Klaus was no longer facing her but had engaged Faith. His back was unguarded. She charged, jumping up and swinging the scythe. Her momentum was so strong that she couldn't have stopped it if she wanted to, so when Finn popped up in front of Klaus' back, the result was a given. The blade struck his neck, cutting through without pausing. No one was more stunned than Buffy when his head rolled off his shoulder and his body collapsed.

"Oh my God!" Caroline exclaimed in amazement. Buffy's actions had momentarily pulled her from her grief.

Faith saw the head roll and jumped away from Klaus in surprise. He registered her surprise and turned to look. His eyes widened in disbelief. The vision of his brother's death reverberated through him. Her blade could do the impossible! How?

At that inopportune moment, Elijah and Rebekah finally made it to the party. Carrying bags for his sister, Elijah walked in the doorway, taking in the scene in an instant. He dropped the bags. When Buffy moved to swing the blade again at Klaus, he moved in a blur, throwing himself between Klaus and the blade. This time Buffy was able to stop her swing. Elijah wasn't her target, and he suddenly appeared and stood so stoically in front of his brother. She lowered her weapon.

"Stop this now!" Elijah ordered in anger. "You invade our home and kill our brother. It's time for you to leave."

Rebekah came up behind Willow and Bonnie. She knocked Bonnie out with a swift punch but couldn't bring herself to hit Willow. Instead, she grabbed her in a head lock, covering her mouth so she couldn't speak any spells. "Be still and don't fight me. I don't want to hurt you," she whispered to Willow.

"Your brother snatched Damon and Elena. He turned Tyler into a hybrid and had him hurt Elena. Now Tyler's dead. I'm tired of his behavior. He is _not_ going to keep going unchecked," Buffy said sternly.

"You've done enough damage. Go. Please," Elijah said wearily, casting a pained looked at Finn's lifeless body. The shock of his death was unfathomable. It wasn't supposed to be possible.

"Don't beg, brother. Move so I can rip her throat out!" Klaus fumed angrily.

"Not now, Niklaus," Elijah replied.

Faith moved to Damon. "Help me with him," she said to Caroline.

Caroline gave her an angry look. "He can stay dead for all I care! He killed Tyler. He can go to hell!" she fumed, refusing to budge.

Faith glowered at her but didn't argue. She bent down and pulled Damon to a sitting position. "Give me a hand, B," she said.

Buffy didn't want to let down her guard and stood looking at Elijah, who nodded. "Take your friends and leave," Elijah said. Then he looked at Willow. "Release my brother."

"As soon as we're gone," Buffy said. "Release Willow," she said to Rebekah.

"Rebekah," Elijah said meaningfully.

Hearing her name, Rebekah released Willow and stepped away. She moved and stood next to Klaus whose hands were clenched in anger. She wanted to reach out and take his hand, but she knew instinctively that he'd rebuff her gesture. He'd see it as a sign of weakness, and Nik would never let himself show vulnerability in front of his enemies.

Willow moved to Bonnie. She put her hand on her forehead and said a few words in Latin. Bonnie opened her eyes. Willow helped her to her feet. Then they moved to the exit. Willow pushed Bonnie out the door and turned back to wait for her friends.

Buffy moved to help Faith without taking her eyes off of the vampires. She glanced at Caroline. "Are you coming?" she asked.

"You let him kill Tyler!" Caroline accused angrily. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" She knew on some level Buffy wasn't responsible for Damon, but the woman was like a superhero. Caroline expected her to do more. She wiped the tears as she looked down at Tyler's still form. She couldn't bring herself to move.

Buffy understood grief and looked at Elijah questioningly. "I will see that she is returned home safely," he promised.

They dragged Damon between then through the door.

After the slayers left, Kol was suddenly released and fell to the ground. He quickly got up. "Finn is dead! How was that possible?" he demanded looking down at his brother whose head had rolled a few feet away from his body. The head had turned gray. There was no question that he was dead.

The siblings surrounded their brother's body and looked down at him. "I don't know, little brother," Klaus said somberly. And he didn't. For once, something had happened that he neither understood nor had foreseen.

"But we're going to find out," Klaus added.

******TO Be CONTINUED******


	21. Laying it on the Line

******* _Where We Left off*******_

Buffy and Faith dragged Damon's body to the edge of the property. Buffy was surprised to see Stefan waiting. She saw a flash of concern as he realized it was Damon they were dragging. However, when they got closer, his mask was back in place.

"I figured Damon would get into trouble," he said with a bored air.

"You don't fool me," Buffy remarked, letting go of Damon's body and letting him fall gently to the ground. "I know he matters to you. He may be the only thing, but the bonds between siblings are often stronger than anything. Even death."

"Thanks for your help," Faith said crossly. She, for one, was really pissed at Stefan. He didn't seem engaged at all. Even Spike when he had no soul hadn't let Buffy fight any battles alone. Xander was a human, and he was willing to risk himself fighting. He'd even lost an eye and kept on fighting. Stefan was either a coward or an unfeeling bastard. Neither was a turn on for her.

"I knew you didn't need it," Stefan said arrogantly.

"Did Alaric and Giles get Elena home?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan shrugged. "Probably," he said.

Damon began to stir and opened his eyes. He sat up and looked at Stefan. "Couldn't abandon me after all?" he asked with a smirk.

"Who else is going to annoy me for all eternity?" Stefan said carelessly. He held out his hand and helped Damon to his feet.

Buffy took note of the bond between the brothers. It seemed that even without his humanity the bond existed in Stefan. That was good. It meant he could be saved. However, Damon had some serious issues that she needed to address. She took a step toward and pulled back and punched him hard in the face.

Damon's head swung back. He put his hand to his jaw and glared down at the pixie warrior. "What the hell was that for?" he asked in annoyance.

"How dare you kill that young man!" Buffy fumed.

"What? You mean Tyler, the traitorous hybrid?" Damon said with a sneer. "It needed to be done, and I did it."

Stefan looked surprised. "You killed Tyler? Elena's going to be pissed," he remarked.

"Elena? What about Caroline? She was so upset she wouldn't even leave his body! She's still in Klaus' house!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"No, it did _not_ need to be done! This sire thing is new for us, but we would've dealt. We would've found a way to help him. We don't just give up and throw a person away! He was barely a man. He had his whole life ahead of him, and you ended it without a thought!" Buffy fumed. She was so mad. She hit him again.

Damon became angry. "Look, little girl, you hit me again, and I'll hit you back. I'm not afraid of you! Nor do I have a problem hitting a woman with super strength!" he said heatedly.

Buffy took a step forward. "Listen, here, vampire, you may have a soul, but if you go around killing anyone without running it by me, you're going to regret it," she said coldly.

"I don't need your permission to do anything!" Damon said crossly. "This is my town! I know how to protect it. Letting Klaus's new pet hybrid infiltrate our ranks and endanger our lives and hurt Elena at will is never going to happen if I can prevent it. And I did. You can thank me."

Buffy was incredulous. The man's arrogance was galling. She looked at Faith, who was shaking her head. Faith was angry enough with Stefan. She couldn't spare much for the cocky brother. Buffy had a lot of experience putting the arrogant in their place. Faith knew first hand. She almost felt sorry for the guy.

"You may have been around for over a hundred and fifty years, but what good have you accomplished in those year? In what way is the world better for all your years?" she asked pointedly.

Damon was caught off guard by her pointed jab and had no response.

She continued. "I may be human. I may be mortal. I may still be young in comparison to you. However, I have saved the world several times. I have died twice. I have sacrificed more than most. Definitely more than _you_ ever have. I have been in countless battles, slaying demons and vampires nearly every night since I was fifteen. I have earned the right to be in charge! I have earned the right to make decrees," she said in a deadly cold tone. "I live here now. My sister is happy here. She has made friends, and you just killed one of her new friends. You kill another without clearing it with me, I swear to God, I _will_ kill you." She looked at Stefan. "If he tries to stop me, I'll kill him, too. And don't think I can't do it. I'm not alone. I have more friends and more allies than both of you put together. My word is law when it comes to slaying, so you better get on board." She kept their gaze for a moment. Then she turned to Willow. "Are you ready to go home?"

Willow nodded. The two of them looked at Faith. "I'll be right behind you. Give me a minute," she said. "Or I'll meet you at your place. We'll make some plans."

Damon looked at Stefan. "Can you believe that woman? This isn't her town! It's ours! We're the ones that's been protecting it. Who does she think she is?" Damon asked.

"The Slayer," Faith said simply. "And one that just killed an Original vampire. Something you were unable to do and thought was impossible."

"She killed an Original?" Damon asked in surprise. "Which one?"

"The one no one cared about. Finn. Buffy had Klaus right where she wanted him and swung her scythe, but Klaus' brother Finn jumped in front of him and took the blow. It cut off his head," Faith said.

Stefan and Damon both were a bit shaken at the news. "Her weapon can really kill an Original?" Stefan asked. "This changes everything."

"So you better take Buffy very seriously. She doesn't give up on people very easily. She would've found a way to save Tyler. She's letting you keep your brother in check," Faith said coolly. "But she has a limit. When I went too far, she put me in a coma. She almost killed me. I wouldn't push my luck if I were you." After saying that, she left them.

****** _Inside the Originals' House*******_

The siblings were stunned as they looked down at their brother's body. Elijah looked sad and somber. Klaus had shut down, his face a mask. Kol became increasingly angry. Rebekah began to cry. Finn was a pompous ass, but he was her brother. Now she'd lost another.

"I don't understand. How did she do it?" Kol asked.

Caroline spoke up. "Her scythe is magical," she offered.

The siblings looked at her in surprise. They had forgotten she was still there. "What do you mean?" Klaus asked, stepping toward her.

"Dawn told me that it was ancient. Buffy pulled it out of a rock like King Arthur in _The Sword and the Stone_ ," Caroline said. "It's a weapon only a slayer can wield."

Klaus held out his hand to her. "Please, Caroline, let me help you up. We'll take Tyler's body to his mother's, so she can make arrangements," Klaus said. He nodded to Kol.

"Thank you," Caroline said softly to Kol. He bent down and threw Tyler over his shoulder and carried him fireman style out of the house. She sat down on the sofa. Klaus sat down next to her.

"So tell me, love. What else do you know about the weapon?" Klaus asked.

"Well, it's the weapon Buffy used to defeat the First Evil and close the hellmouth in Sunnydale. Now the town is a big crater," Caroline said. "It also has magic. Willow used it to make the spell that turned all the potential slayers into slayers."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked.

"It's kind of confusing," Caroline said with a wrinkle of her nose. "Dawn said that Buffy found out the first slayer eons ago was basically empowered with demon spirits or something. The source of Buffy's power is dark. Some shamen decided only one girl should have this power. When she dies, another is immediately called to take her place. Buffy died once and that's how another slayer was called. But now it's different. Now there's lots and lots. Willow changed the world basically."

The brothers exchanged concerned glances. Things were getting complicated for the family.

"How did Tyler die?" Rebekah asked curiously.

Caroline looked angry at the reminder. "It was Damon! He killed Tyler! And no one stopped him! Not the super powerful Willow or the super strong slayers! Damon just ripped his heart out like he was nothing!" Caroline said, her eyes filling with tears. "Willow can raise the dead, but she didn't try to stop Damon!" Her anger grew as she talked.

Elijah pulled out his handkerchief and gave it to her. She gave him a watery smile.

"We're not evil, Caroline. We just want to live our lives as we see fit," Klaus said reasonably. "My brother Finn never hurt anyone in his entire life, and now look at him." They all glanced at his body.

Caroline shuddered. "I don't think Buffy meant to kill him," she offered.

"No, she was trying to kill me," he said grimly.

"Where's Finn?" a voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. Everyone looked and saw Sage. She looked down at Finn's body in growing horror. "Oh God! What happened? Is he dead? I thought he couldn't die!" She went to his body and fell to her knees beside it.

"He died saving my life," Klaus said somberly. He had kept his brother in a box for 900 years and yet when it counted the most, his brother was there for him. He gave his life for Klaus. "I didn't deserve such a brother."

"No, you didn't! He was good and wonderful! I waited centuries from him! You kept him from me!" Sage exclaimed, rising angrily to her feet, her eyes ablaze.

"He was miserable as a vampire. I thought he was better off," Klaus said with a twinge of regret.

"Better off? Who are you to decide such a thing? He had _me_! I loved him! I loved him always, and you denied us a life! I could've had 900 years with him!" Sage yelled. Then suddenly she froze and fell to the ground, the color draining from her face.

Everyone got to their feet in surprise. "Oh my God! Is she dead?" Caroline asked in shock.

The siblings looked on as her body decimated. Elijah bent down and checked her. He looked thoughtfully over at his brother a moment. "Finn turned Sage. He is an original, and now he's dead," Elijah said. "Now his entire line will die." He got to his feet and looked at Klaus.

Klaus processed the news and smiled. Finally, an advantage. He turned to Caroline. "Well, love, it looks like you have a problem," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown. She didn't understand what was happening.

"You were turned by Damon, right?" he asked her.

"Yes, and he was turned by Katherine," Caroline supplied.

"Do you know who turned her?" Klaus asked. "Do you know which of us started her line? Because if your new friends kill one of us, it could kill you and the Salvatores."

Caroline's eyes widened as she realized the implications.

_******Salvatores*******_

Damon dragged his brother to the Grille for a drink. After the evening he had, he needed several. It really galled him that the tiny slayer had him boxed in. When he started to feel like this, he usually went and did something fun and impulsive. He looked over at his brother and sighed. Suddenly, he had to be the responsible one.

"This really sucks," he complained.

"I don't know," Stefan said with a shrug. "You just don't like hearing the word no. It's not so bad having them in town. They can take care of things. We don't have to do any of the heavy lifting anymore. And we can work at seducing the delicious pair. Play nice and maybe Buffy will let you play with her!"

Damon choked on his drink. "What? Elena's high maintenance enough. A girl like Buffy would have a man running in circles to keep up!" he insisted. "She has a calling. People with callings are impossible to please, and it's inevitable you'll disappoint them. Why bother?"

"Yeah, but just think, a girl that wound up must be so much fun when she finally lets loose," Stefan said with a leer.

Damon chuckled. His brother usually wasn't one to make such comments. That was usually Damon's job. The novelty of it made him smile. "She's a bit too sanctimonious for my taste," Damon said, his eyes darkening as he remembered her jab. What had he done to make the world a better place? Her rebuke still rang in his ears.

"Yeah, she poured it on pretty thick. If I had my emotions, I may be feeling some shame right now 'cause God knows I haven't done anything to make the world a better place," Stefan stated flatly. "Until I met Elena, I hadn't cared all that much about anything but Lexie."

Damon's guilt hit him not for the first time. He was responsible for taking away his brother's best friend, and yet Stefan forgave him. He would always be the better man. Damon didn't think he'd be able to do the same thing if Stefan killed Alaric.

"I'm sorry about that one, brother. I really am," Damon said regretfully.

Stefan looked at him with those flat eyes that were now prominent since he flipped the switch. "I'm over it. You wanted me all to yourself. Now you have me for all eternity," Stefan said grimly, slapping his brother on the back. "I'm going to go find something else to drink."

"Don't kill anyone," Damon warned.

Stefan walked outside to the alley. Even with his emotions turned off, he didn't like to think of Lexie. She had been his rock, picking him up and pulling him from the edge of darkness more than once. She had only ever looked at him with love and friendship. Faith's face flashed in his mind. She was disappointed and pissed at him. He could tell. Like Buffy, she was driven to help people. She couldn't understand his apathy. Turning off his emotions had freed him from all his guilt that had been his constant companion.

He spotted some prey coming out of the side door. He compelled the man to go home and turned his gaze to the woman. His hunger grew stronger as he gazed at her. He compelled her to be silent. Her fear was intoxicating though, so he didn't tell her to calm down.

He bit into her neck and began to drain her. Faith's face flashed in his mind, and he slowed.

"What are you doing?" her voice said. It was too loud to be in his head, so he turned and looked. She was standing there, her arms crossed, an angry look on her face. Stefan let the woman go, a tinge of guilt working its way through his conscious. Even through a wall of indifference, Faith's disappointment pierced through. He stepped away from the woman but turned his back on Faith. He quietly compelled the woman and used the edge of his t-shirt to wipe his mouth, knowing the sight of blood would only further disgust her. Then he turned back to face her, his mask firmly in place.

"What does it matter to you?" he asked.

"I was at Buffy's and barely got to say hello when it hit me that you probably were out doing something stupid. And here you are feeding on a woman," Faith said in disgust. "I thought we decided you'd avoid women. They're your trigger."

Stefan shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he said.

"Fine. Whatever. I don't care anymore. You and your brother have proven to be too much trouble. Keep killing if you want to die. It's not my problem," Faith said tiredly. She turned and left.

Stefan found himself feeling a surge of emotion as she walked away from him. It left him feeling bereft.

****** _Buffy and Willow's Place******_

When Buffy and Willow made it back home, Dawn jumped up to meet them at the door. Elena was on her heels.

"Buffy, how could you let Damon kill Tyler? Matt is heartbroken!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm fine, Dawn. Thanks for asking," Buffy said sarcastically. She glanced at Bonnie who went to Elena's side. The two were greeted by Jeremy who came downstairs. He looked equally upset.

"You're always fine," Dawn replied with a shrug. "I mean you are, aren't you?"

"Yes, we managed to kill one of Klaus' siblings," Buffy shared.

"Yeah, Elena filled us in," Dawn said dismissively. "But why did Damon kill Tyler and why didn't you stop him?"

The doorbell rang. Willow turned and let Matt him. Another upset teen in her house. Great.

"Let's all go into the living room," Willow suggested.

Alaric went to Buffy, obviously relieved to see she was unhurt. "You're okay?" he asked anyway.

"Yes, I'm fine. We managed to make a very loud point," Buffy said.

"What happened to Tyler? Did Damon really kill him?" Matt asked Buffy.

She gave a weary sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize when Damon said he was going to kill him that he mean literally. I thought it was one of those things a person says when they're annoyed. He moved so fast and had his hand through Tyler's chest before I could blink," she said regretfully.

"I don't understand. Why would he kill Tyler? He's our friend. He was my best friend," Matt said, his eyes full of sorrow.

Buffy recognized the look in his eye. She'd seen it before. It was the look of a someone who had lost too much and life was too hard. It was something she saw in the mirror every day. This young man carried a heavy load. A pang of sympathy and guilt hit her. "I'm really sorry. Damon said he was sired to Klaus and couldn't be trusted," Buffy said.

"Klaus ordered him to break my arm, and he did," Elena confessed, feeling responsible. Damon was always irrational when it came to her well-being.

"So his punishment is death?" Matt asked incredulous.

"Buffy made it real clear that he's expendable," Bonnie shared, secretly pleased. Damon presumed entirely too much.

"What?" Elena asked with a frown.

"She bitch slapped Damon a few times and told him that if he killed another person without asking her first, she'd kill him and Stefan," Willow said with a small smile. She loved seeing guys that were too full of themselves put in their place.

Elena did not find it funny. She got to her feet. "So you want to take another person I care about from me? Haven't I lost enough? My parents are dead, my Uncle John is dead, my Aunt Jenna is dead, and now Tyler is dead. And you are threatening Damon and Stefan?" Elena asked in disbelief and growing anger. She looked at Alaric beseechingly. "I want to go home. I'm not staying with people that are threatening to kill my friends."

"So you're rather your friends go around killing innocent teenagers? Tyler hadn't killed anyone, and Damon killed him without a second thought," Buffy pointed out.

"Like he and Stefan did my sister Vicky," Matt added bitterly.

"And Tyler's Uncle Mason," Jeremy said.

Elena got more upset at the reminders. She looked at Matt with regret but said, "Vicki was about to kill me. She was a vampire who was about to feed on Jeremy, too. And Mason almost got both of them killed. Damon doesn't handle threats well. He doesn't kill without a reason."

Alaric finally spoke. "And you threatening him isn't the way to deal with him. He turned my wife into a vampire. She was Elena's birth mother. He's an ass. But that's not all there is to him," he said as he got to his feet. "Elena and I can deal with Damon. And as much as we appreciate you dealing with Klaus, we would've found a way without you. This is Damon's home. His father helped found this town. If you don't like his methods, I guess you guys can leave." His eyes held regret as he looked at Buffy, but he didn't retreat. He loved Elena like a daughter. Jenna would want him to do whatever he could to make her happy. Both Damon and Stefan were necessary for her happiness. He knew this. If Buffy couldn't understand that, then this union between the two groups wouldn't work.

Giles, always the voice of reason, looked at Buffy. "I seem to recall you being unreasonable when it came to Spike," he reminded her. "Before he had a soul and kept causing all kinds of trouble, you wouldn't kill him. Nor would you let anyone else kill him."

"Because I knew he'd never hurt any of us. Not truly. The chip wouldn't let him. Then when I came back from the dead and found out he could hurt me, he still didn't. Even as a soulless demon, he loved me," Buffy said sadly. "And unlike Damon, Spike didn't go around killing young men who have a soul."

"Damon isn't rational when it comes to my safety. A few months ago when Klaus was about to do the ceremony, he fed me his blood, so if I died I'd come back as a vampire. Then he and Stefan got into a fight over it, and he almost killed Stefan," Elena shared. "But right after that he almost died saving Tyler and Caroline from Klaus."

"It seems to me that Klaus is the real problem here. We need to quit fighting and get down to killing him," Giles pointed out.

"If you do that, then I could die," a voice behind them said. They all turned and saw Caroline. "You can't kill Klaus or any of the originals. Not unless you want to kill me. If one of them die, their entire line dies, too." Her announcement succeeded in silencing the group.

******* _Back at the Originals*******_

"So what's the plan, brother?" Kol asked Klaus.

"Now that Caroline knows firsthand what will happen if one of us dies, she'll be sharing that information," Klaus said in satisfaction. "I can't see the slayers callously risking her life. Maybe the Salvatores but not her. Even as a vampire, her heart is too pure. It's plain for anyone to see."

"She's Elena and the Bennett witch's best friend," Elijah added. "I think we may be able to work a truce." His relief was obvious.

"Truce? The woman almost killed me and killed Finn. There will be no truce! Not until I make her suffer," Klaus vowed. "After talking to Caroline, we know enough to hit her and her witch where it hurts the most."

"Caroline was awfully easy for you to manipulate," Rebekah observed with an eye roll.

"She's young, and she was in pain," Klaus said. "I don't think she'll be so quick to align herself against us again."

"She's a sweet morsel," Kol said with relish.

"Buffy's sister Dawn is her weak point. We should kill her," Klaus said flatly.

Elijah's eyes flashed. "We will _not_ be killing any young girls!" he insisted.

"Well, then we can turn her into a vampire!" Klaus replied. "That would be almost as bad for a woman who spends her life killing vampires."

"You are being shortsighted, Niklaus," Elijah admonished. "Right now the slayers see you as a nuisance. They aren't really angry with you. Enrage them and there's no telling what can happen. Buffy sacrificed herself once for her sister. I think her anger would be unending if you mess with her sister. And we don't know how many slayers she has working for her. If what Caroline says is true, there may be many more like her out there."

"An army of slayers?" Rebekah asked nervously.

Klaus frowned, not happy. Then his quick mind latched onto another idea. "Well, then, we go another route. We target the witch. She has control issues and can be pushed to the darkside. Maybe we help her get there," Klaus said with a malevolent grin. "That will unbalance them and cause all kinds of trouble for them. They'll be so focused on their friend, we won't be given much thought."

"Willow is sweet and wants to be my friend," Rebekah protested. She spent so many years running with her brother that she never really had a girlfriend.

"I don't think that's all she wants from you sister," Kol teased knowingly. He grinned at Rebekah, who frowned, not really getting his point. Kol chuckled at his sister's naïveté.

"I'm not going to kill her," Klaus said with a mischievous grin. "I know just what to do." He got up. "I'll be out of town a few days while I work on this. Try and keep Kol out of trouble while I'm gone."

"Sweet! You won't be around to distract sweet Caroline! I'll have her all to myself!" Kol bragged rubbing his hands together.

"She just lost her boyfriend. Try to behave," Klaus admonished. Then he went upstairs to collect his things.

Elijah sighed. It seemed his path to redemption was going to be nearly impossible. Klaus was never going to listen to reason.

****** _Chapter End*******_


	22. New Arrivals

****** _The Next Day (Sunday)*_ *****

After a restless night, Faith got up. Her mind was too full to sleep. She couldn't seem to quit thinking about the out of control, sexy-as-hell vampire whose house she was staying in. Why couldn't she just forget about him and move on? Disgusted with herself, she went downstairs to make some coffee.

She was surprised to find Damon in the kitchen sipping a cup. She nodded at him and walked to the pot.

"Well, aren't we chipper this morning?" Damon said in a sunny voice.

Faith grabbed a banana from the bundle she'd picked up the other day. She sat down at the table across from Damon. After adding a copious amount of sugar to her coffee, she took her first sip.

"Did you want some coffee with your sugar?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"I don't really like the taste. Just the kick it gives," she said. She eyed him. "You're awfully chipper yourself this morning."

"Well, I decided to focus on the positive. Originals can be killed. We have the means to remove the thorn in my flesh! That makes me happy!" Damon said with a smile.

"Oh, uh, I guess you hadn't heard," she said. "We can't kill any more of them unless we want to kill you, Stefan, and Caroline."

"What?" Damon asked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Caroline said that Sage, Finn's vamp girlfriend came downstairs after we left. She was talking and then fell over dead. She was turned by Finn. Since they are the original vampires, it makes sense that if they die, their entire line dies," Faith shared. "So unless you want to risk killing yourself, you might want to take a beat and rethink your new plans."

Damon's hand hit the table in frustration. "You've got to be kidding!" he exclaimed.

"Looks like we're going to go another route. In between all the drama, they'll come up with a new plan," she said.

"What drama?" Damon asked.

"I guess Elena got really upset last night at Buffy when she found out Buffy was threatening you. Now Dawn and all the teens are upset about you killing Tyler, and Elena and Rick both kind of took Buffy to task for threatening you. Glad I'm here and away from all the sister drama. Dawn's a real brat sometimes," Faith said. She began to peel the banana.

"So there's a new plan?" Damon asked.

Faith shrugged. "Will's working on a possible containment solution. Bonnie said in one of her grimore's that there's a reference to a spell that may be used to immobilize them or Klaus at least," Faith said.

"Or we could just find out which of them sired our line and kill Klaus if it's not him," Damon said.

"True. But what if it's him? We need to have a plan B. Maybe we can convince him to back down though," Faith said.

"Not likely. Guys like that don't like being beat," Damon said. He knew from experience. The fact that he had to back down with the vixen slayer irked him to no end.

"We need to talk about your brother," Faith said after she finished her banana.

"What about him?" Damon asked.

"I caught him feeding on a woman last night. Women are his trigger, so he needs to stay away from them. And he needs to quit feeding from the neck. That's how he ends up ripping off heads whether he intends to or not," Faith said.

"Did he?" Damon asked.

"No. But he may have if I hadn't been there," she replied.

Damon got up from the table. "Well, it's good that you were there then, huh? Keep up the good work!" Damon said with a smirk. He walked out of the kitchen.

Faith looked after him in irritation. She didn't blame Buffy for wanting to hit the guy. Now she wanted to herself. Stefan came into the kitchen. He smiled at her.

"Good morning," he said. He poured himself a cup of coffee. Faith didn't reply. She just looked at him. He sat down next to her. "Are you still pissed?"

She took a drink of her coffee and didn't answer. Her silence and stony look spoke volumes.

"I don't know what you want from me," he said, frowning.

"I don't want anything from you," she finally said.

"You and I are so good together," he said.

"We could be if you were more of a man and less of a selfish bastard," she said, getting from the table. She dumped out the rest of her coffee and rinsed out the cup.

"Why am I a selfish bastard?" he asked.

She turned to face him. "You just don't get it. There's a whole world out there. People who are being hurt and killed. Monsters and evil that keeps growing. I'm a part of something bigger than myself. I make a difference. _You_ just exist. You feel guilty for being a ripper, and you protect Elena and maybe some of her friends. But you're not really doing anything to atone for your sins. Last night you didn't even bother to help Elena or her friend Tyler. Maybe he'd still be alive if you'd cared enough to help," Faith said disgusted.

"It's almost impossible to stop Damon once he's decided something," Stefan said defensively.

"But if anyone could, I bet _you_ could," Faith said. "I know this vamp named Angel. He's a lot like you but was even worse than you. He was a soulless demon who didn't live to just kill. He loved to inflict maximum mental torment on his victims. He made the mistake of becoming obsessed with a beautiful gypsy girl. He didn't just kill her. He killed her family first and drove her insane. Then he killed her. Her family put a curse on him. They gave him back his soul so that he'd feel all the guilt of his crimes. But there was a catch. If he had one moment of pure happiness, his soul would be snatched back."

"You know some really fun people," Stefan said dryly.

"Yeah, his life isn't easy, but he keeps fighting. Even after he fell in love with Buffy, he sought redemption by fighting with her. However, once he and Buffy got too close his soul was snatched away. After opening a hell dimension and almost destroying the world, Buffy killed him. But before he died, Willow did a spell that gave him back his soul, but it was too late. Buffy had to close the portal and Angel's blood was the only way. But the Powers That Be had another plan for Angel. They gave him a second chance and spit him back from hell. Now he spends his time trying to atone. He has lost a lot of friends fighting the good fight. But that's what he does. He fights. He sacrifices. He never gives up," Faith said. "He's just _one_ person I know that I could tell you about. Angel's not human. But I know humans that fight and sacrifice just as much. Buffy and Willow's best guy friend Xander has no special skills except for cracking jokes. But he fights with Buffy. He has since he was 16. He lost an eye battling the First, but he hasn't stopped fighting. So you ask me what I want from you? I want you to man up. Quit living for yourself or your brother. There's a big world out there. I'm not wasting time on a guy that rather live without his emotions because he doesn't want to feel the guilt and isn't willing to use his strength to fight the good fight. Guilt is what makes us human. If you don't have your humanity, what good are you to me? How are you any different from the soulless vamps I'm used to slaying?"

Stefan didn't know what to say. She was always surprising him. Now she was basically throwing out a challenge. One he wasn't sure he could meet. They were interrupted by the doorbell.

Faith went out of the kitchen to answer the doorbell. Stefan followed behind her. When Faith opened the door, she blinked in surprise. "Xander!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here?"

"Giles called and said you guys were having buckets of fun without me, so I thought I'd join the fun!" Xander said. "I brought some of our friends." Faith looked behind him and saw he definitely wasn't alone.

Faith grinned. "Vi! Samantha! Ladies, come on in!" she said stepping back.

Damon came down the stairs to see who was here. He met Stefan at the bottom of the stairs. They looked dismayed as a bunch of very attractive girls came in. All shapes and sizes. And colors. Damon grinned. "It's not even my birthday!" he exclaimed. "Who to try first? I love Asian food!"

He walked over to the very cute Asian. "Come here," he compelled. The girl walked toward him with a frown. He leaned toward her. When his teeth pierced her neck, his compulsion wore off. Vi shoved him hard. Then she swung her leg back and kicked him in the head, knocking him on his ass.

"Vi! Stop!" Faith ordered.

"This vampire bite me!' she said, her eyes flashing. "I kill him now." She pulled a stake out of her back pocket.

Faith quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand before she could charge. "He's our friend," she said carefully. "Well, sort of anyway. No slaying!"

"He no bite me! I slay!" Vi said sternly.

Stefan started laughing. Damon glared from the floor. "Please tell me there are not two dozen slayers suddenly in our house!" he exclaimed.

"Only 20!" Xander said with a grin. "The private jet Giles inherited from the Watchter's council won't hold any more!"

The Salvatore brothers looked up at the one eyed man who seemed perfectly at ease surrounded by so many women. He waved a hand at them. "Sorry for barging in. But Buff told us that you guys had plenty of room," he said. He looked around at the spacious house. "Looks like she didn't exaggerate."

Stefan held out his hand and pulled Damon to his feet. "Looks like compulsion doesn't work that well on slayers after all," he observed.

"This is _not_ the Slayers Inn!" Damon said in annoyance. Now he had a bitch of a headache. He glared at the group of ladies.

"I don't know, Damon. A house full of beautiful women doesn't sound so bad to me!" Stefan said with a grin.

Damon groaned. "We haven't been a boarding house in decades!" he complained.

"Well, old times are here again," Stefan said. "Just don't forget the complimentary turn down service!"

Xander stepped forward and offered his hand. "I'm Xander," he said. "Sorry for the invasion. You know Buffy. She sees a problem, finds a solution, and then doesn't think about it again."

"Damon. This is Stefan," Damon said shaking his hand and pointing to his brother. He eyed the one-eyed man curiously. "Does that patch give you any edge with all these woman?"

Xander laughed. "Boy, do I wish! They all think of me as like a brother! It's my curse in life. I know more beautiful, amazing woman than any man alive, and it gets me nowhere! They'll even change in front of me like I'm not even a guy!" he complained.

Damon snickered. He liked this guy. "That really blows! Maybe you should just grab one of them and plant a big kiss on them!" he suggested. "Let'em know what they're missing!"

"Now that's an idea," he said, brightening. He put his hand on his chin and surveyed the group of ladies who were exploring the living room. "Any volunteers? I'll ravish you like you've never been ravished!" The girls giggled but none made a move toward him. He sighed in defeat.

"And I can testify that he's good for showing a gal a good time!" Faith said with a knowing look at Xander. Even after all these years, she could make Xander blush.

Her implication wasn't lost on Stefan, and he got an ugly look in his eyes when he looked at Xander. Damon couldn't help but notice. He smirked. "Oh no! Little brother's jealous!" Damon exclaimed.

"Jealous? Of me? Why?" Xander asked, puzzled. Then he puffed up. "No guy's ever been jealous of me before! I like this town already!"

Faith laughed. She threw her arms around his shoulder. "It's good to have you here. There's not been a lot to laugh about lately," she said.

"Buffy said you have some immortals that need to be taught some manners," Xander said. "Let me introduce you to the girls." He turned and waved at them. "Ladies, come meet our hosts." The girls moved to stand in front of the brothers.

"Who'd you leave in charge back home?" Faith asked.

"Kennedy. She's still not in a good place since Willow broke up with her, so I thought it'd best to keep her away," Xander said. "Ladies, this is Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Yes, they are vampires, but they are not soulless demons. No staking them! They are our friends."

"If this guy thinks he can snack on us, I'm not making any promises," one really cute red head said.

"There will be no snacking!" Faith said with a warning look at Damon.

He held up his hands. "I thought Stefan ordered take-out! I didn't know they were friends of yours!" he said.

"So are there any other slayers left? Of have all of them came here?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, there's lots more back in England. But this should be enough to handle the hybrid and his siblings," Faith said. "Come on girls. Let's go upstairs and pick out the rooms. Three are taken."

"I'll stay down here. I could do without all the constant giggling," Xander said. He threw himself down on the couch.

"Go with them, Stefan. Make sure they don't touch any of my stuff!" Damon ordered. He sat down next to Xander. "So are all these girls like Buffy?"

Xander grinned. "No one's like Buffy. Not even Faith," he said proudly.

"Love her a lot, huh?" Damon asked with a grin. "That must suck!"

"I'd die for her. But I got over my crush years ago. She's a heartbreaker. Who needs that?" Xander said with a grin.

"Heartbreaker?" Damon asked with a frown. Alaric didn't need any more heartbreak. "My friend likes her. She better not break his heart. I might have to kill her."

Xander snickered. "You can try," he said, obviously not concerned. "Who's your friend?"

"Rick," Damon said.

"Oh, yeah, I met him. Broody and just a little bit broken? Yep, that's definitely Buffy's type!" Xander said with a grin. "She's sworn off vampires, which is also her normal type, so maybe your friend has a chance."

Damon wasn't reassured.

******** _Willow*_ ********

Willow was excited about her first day of school tomorrow. She loved teaching back in high school. It felt like she'd had a knack for it. Spending so much time with the slayerettes and Dawnie made her feel like she could deal with teenagers. She'd gotten up early and finished her lesson planning for the week. Now she needed a distraction. She thought she'd go get Xander and drag him to the Grille. She missed him. However, she found her car not heading to the Salvatores but to Rebekah's. Willow couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt that they'd killed her brother and in such a gruesome fashion.

She pulled up to the mansion. In the daylight, it was an imposing presence. Last night, she hadn't noticed much detail except the house had definitely seen better days. Now she approached and saw that they'd already fixed the doors she shattered the day before. She rang the doorbell. Rebekah opened the door. She looked surprised and wary to see Willow.

"What are you doing here? Come to kill another brother of mine?" she asked, the hurt and accusation in her eyes.

"No! Of course not! I'm sorry about your brother. Honest," Willow said regretfully. "I wanted to tell you that."

Rebekah didn't know how to take her apology, but her nature made her suspicious. "Okay," she said. She moved to close the door.

Willow held out her hand. "Wait!" she ordered. Rebekah looked expectantly at her. Willow found herself nervous, something she hadn't been in a while. "Well, I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to come hang out with me and my best friend Xander. He flew in from London today. I was about to go get him."

"Rebekah, who's at the door?" Elijah called out. He came to the door and saw the witch. "Don't you think you did enough last night? Our brother is dead. Klaus left town."

Willow flashed him a guilty look. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. We weren't trying to hurt your other brother. Just Klaus. But Caroline told us what could happen if we killed any of you, so maybe we can reason with your brother," Willow suggested.

"Klaus isn't really reasonable on his best day," Elijah said dryly. "He left town, but he'll be back. I'm sure he'll be ready to cause some trouble when he returns."

"If he can't be reasoned with, then I'll have to contain him. I can do that you know," Willow said confidently.

"I'm sure you can try," Elijah said. "Why are you here?"

Willow looked nervous and looked at Rebekah. "I wanted to see Rebekah. I have a friend in town I was going to go pick up and show around. I thought maybe she'd want to hang out with us. He's human and has no superpowers. No threat. Just...well, you know… just have some fun," Willow said awkwardly.

Elijah examined the witch. He truly didn't understand these humans. They didn't seem to know how to hate very well. Nor did the witch get that she shouldn't be befriending someone she may have to kill. He sighed and looked at his sister. He could tell his lonely sister wanted to be friends with the witch, but she felt guilty for it. It would be up to him. He nodded. "Go. It'll be good for you to get out of the house," he said to Rebekah. "I'll be here if you need me."

Rebekah smiled at her brother and went with Willow to her car. They got into her car, and Willow pulled out her cell to dial Xander's number. "Hey. I'm coming to pick you up. I want you to meet a new friend of mine. Come outside and wait for us. We'll show you around town." She hung up. "You're going to love Xander. He's funny and the best friend a gal could ever have."

"He's not a witch?" Rebekah asked curiously.

Willow laughed. "No. He is just a puny human with a heart of gold. He's the only one who could get through to me when Tara died, and I went crazy with the magics. I was about to raise this temple that would destroy the world when he talked me down. Or rather his love for me got through to me. He said if the world was going to end where else would he be but with me?" Willow shared. It still made her want to cry when she thought of that day and what Xander did. "He's the heart of our group. Giles is training him to be a Watcher. It's a headache trying to keep up with all the slayerettes."

"Slayerettes?" Rebekah asked in confusion.

"That's what we call all the new slayers. We find more all the time. We try to prepare them for what's happening to them. All at once they were empowered. It's kind of a scary thing. Some join us. Some don't. But all of them stay in contact. We're there if they need us," Willow said. She pulled up to the Salvatores.

Rebekah saw a man standing at the front door wearing an eye patch. "Is that a new style or does he only have one eye?" Rebekah couldn't help but ask.

Willow winced. "The First gauged out his eye when we were fighting him," she shared.

"He has no powers or strengths, but he still fights with you?" she asked in surprised as the human came toward the car.

"It's what we do. We try to make him stay behind, but he rarely listens to us," Willow said.

Xander opened the back door. "Ladies," he said with a smile as he got in the back.

"Xander, this is Rebekah. I thought I'd show you around town. Then we can grab some lunch at the main place we hang out at. Dawn works there with Matt," Willow said.

Xander waved at Rebekah. "Nice to meet you!" he said with a friendly smile. "Thanks for rescuing me. Damon seems cool, but I could use a break from all those women."

"Damon seems to be an ass to me. He killed Tyler last night. Tyler was just a teen. Sure he was a werewolf, but that doesn't make him evil," Willow said hotly, thinking of Oz.

Xander knew she was thinking about Oz. "Will, I don't think we can assume these wolves are like Oz. They're pure bloods, and this Klaus guy is a hybrid. Damon told me the kid was sired, and it doesn't mean what Spike and Angel mean when they use the word," Xander said.

"That Klaus guy is my brother," Rebekah informed him.

"Oh," Xander said in surprise. He met Willow's eyes in the rear view mirror. She gave him that _I know it's complicated but I really like her_ look. Xander sighed. One day, his best friends' love lives were going to be the death of him!

****** _*At The Boarding House**_ ******

Rick, Giles, and Buffy let themselves into the Salvatores. Rather, Rick didn't knock, so Giles and Buffy followed him in. Rick had to contain his urge to head for the liquor like he normally did when he came over. He could tell Buffy wasn't much of a drinker and wouldn't approve of his dependence on alcohol to get through his misery. It made things easier, but he wasn't quite a full blown alcoholic and knew he needed to get a handle on his drinking anyway.

Damon looked up from the book he was reading. "Hey. Thanks for the house full of beautiful women that won't let me have even a tiny sip from them," he said accusingly. He put the book on the table.

"You can try but don't come crying to me when they knock you on your ass," Buffy said with a grin.

"Too late. I already did. And I got kicked in the head. Thank you very much!" he said glumly.

Rick laughed. "Didn't you know they were slayers?" he asked.

"No. I just saw a bunch of delicious looking ladies suddenly in my house," Damon said. "Did you know that slayers aren't easily compelled?"

"Really?" Giles asked with interest. "We weren't sure, but we didn't want to risk it. Buffy and Faith have been drinking vervain."

"I compelled the crazy Asian chick. She was compelled at first but fought off the compulsion fairly quickly," he said.

Buffy remembered her experience with Dracula. "That's pretty much what happened with Dracula when I fought him. He was able to hypnotize me for a time. But I shook it off eventually," she said. "I was young, though. Some of the girls are stronger than others. We'll have to give them all vervain just to be safe. I don't want Klaus to be able to compel any of them. If he and his siblings can compel even vampires, it's not a chance we should take."

"You fought Dracula?" Damon asked in surprise and awe.

"Yes. He wasn't like you guys exactly, but he was more powerful than your typical vamp," Buffy said.

Stefan and Faith came downstairs. A few slayers were with them. "That's because Dracula was a protege of Klaus's," Stefan shared, overhearing their conversation.

"Really?" Giles' asked. "How do you know?"

"Klaus bragged about it once back in the day when he and I spent time together. He didn't turn Dracula but liked his old world manners and taught him some tricks," Stefan said. "It amused him that Dracula let the guy live who wrote that book about him."

"Are the girls settled in?" Buffy asked Faith.

"Most of the rooms have king-size beds, so it was easy to find some space. The place is huge," Faith said.

"Americans don't make houses like this anymore," Giles said admiring the place. "Craftsmanship is a lost art in a country of mass production."

"Yeah, our father would only have the best," Stefan said.

The doorbell rang. Stefan went to answer it. "Uh, Damon. We have a problem," he yelled.

They all headed to the front door to see what was going on. Liz was at the door with several deputies. She gave them an apologetic look. "The mayor is insisting that I take Damon in. He's under arrest for the murder of Tyler Lockwood," she said.

Damon looked at his brother in dismay. For some reason, he hadn't seen this one coming.

****** _More to Come*_ *****

_I'm really grateful to those who take time to review! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!_


	23. No Secrets Anymore

****** _*Same Day*_ ******

Willow drove Rebekah and Xander a short way to the Mystic Grille. Both Matt and Dawn were working.

Dawn came up and gave Xander a hug. Then she led them to a table.

"Dawnie, I don't think you've met my friend Rebekah. At least not officially," Willow said as she led them to the table. "Rebekah, this is Dawn Summers. She's Buffy's sister."

"Nice to meet you," Rebekah said. "You don't really look much like your sister."

"Well, that's 'cause I was fashioned by some monks from her blood," Dawn said with a cheeky grin. She waved Matt over, but he shook his head. Then when he gestured to her, she excused herself. "Be right back to get your order."

"Long story," Willow said when Rebekah gave her a confused look. She sat down in the booth. Rebekah sat across from her. Then Xander sat down next to Willow.

"Was she joking?" Rebekah asked.

"Oh, how simple our life would be if she was," Xander said with a grin. "Don't go down the rabbit hole with us. You may never escape!"

Willow smiled at Rebekah as she continued to look confused. "Xander, Rebekah probably doesn't know _Alice in Wonderland_. Her psychotic brother had her frozen in a coffin since the 1920s," Willow explained.

"And here I thought I had the worse family in the world," Xander said. "And to think, I used to wish I had a brother."

"You don't anymore?" Willow asked.

"Not after I inherited Spike. And now I have Andrew. The adopted brothers just keep getting lamer and lamer," Xander said with exaggerated sorrow.

Rebekah tried to keep up with them, but they were quick and talked about things she didn't quite understand. However, she enjoyed just being around people that knew what she was and didn't care. She also couldn't seem to get over the fact that they knew who and what her brother was and didn't seem concerned or impressed.

Matt and Dawn came over to the table. "Matt, this is Xander. He's the coolest guy ever," Dawn said. The two guys shook hands.

"Do you know Rebekah?" Willow asked.

Matt smiled. "Nice to meet you," he said. "Lots of new faces in town these days."

"Oh, there's a lot more that's for sure," Willow said, grinning knowingly at Xander who snickered. Neither Matt nor Rebekah knew how many had came over with Xander.

"How long are you in town for?" Matt asked.

"Don't know. Depends on how long it takes Buffy to get this Klaus guy under control," Xander said.

"There is no controlling my brother," Rebekah said flatly.

"Let's not talk about him," Willow said, knowing that it'd just upset her. She didn't want Rebekah to get angry with her over Klaus. He so wasn't worth it.

"What can I get you guys?" Dawn asked.

"Look at you. All working girl," Xander said with a grin.

Dawn smiled back. "It's fun," she said.

"I gotta take care of some customers. I'm sure I'll see you guys later," Matt said excusing himself.

"I bet I know why Dawn has suddenly acquired a work ethic," Xander teased, giving her a knowing look.

"He's a cutie," Willow said, smiling.

"And very sweet," Dawn added, glancing at Matt as he walked away. "Will you guys order already? I got other tables."

They gave her their order. When she walked away, she heard Xander beginning to entertain them with a tale. She handed the cook their order. Matt came up to her. "Your friend seems cool," he remarked.

"Xander's the coolest. He's Willow and Buffy's best friend. He's like my brother," Dawn said. She didn't see any point telling him he had also been her first crush. She knew Xander never saw her as a girl and never would. Once she realized that, it was easy to get over her infatuation.

"So what happened to his eye? Or is that just a style?" Matt asked, referring to the eye patch.

"I wish," Dawn said sadly. "No, he got his eye gouged out by Caleb the guy who was the First Evil or doing the First's work. I never understood it really."

Matt winced. "That's horrible! So what kind of superpowers does he have?" Matt asked.

"None. He's 100% human. Like me and you," she said.

"And he fights evil?" Matt asked in surprise.

"Not as much anymore 'cause Buffy's always keeping him busy with other things. Now he's training to be a watcher like Giles," Dawn shared. "But he was a sophomore in high school when he met Buffy. She saved him and Willow from some vamps, and that's how they found out she was the slayer."

Matt shook his head. He wasn't a coward, but he didn't know if he could do what they did. "He still wanted to fight after getting his eye put out?" Matt asked in surprise.

"Buffy said he's braver than he is useful at times, but he's killed his share of vampires. Not to mention he saved the world once," Dawn shared. It had been Xander who had gotten through to Dark Willow.

Matt gave her a considering look. "And you? Do you do that too?" he asked.

"Well, you can't live on a hellmouth without fighting monsters of some sort. Mostly, though, Buffy tries to keep me away from the fighting. Before Buffy closed it permanently, Sunnydale was getting so freaky with the demons and monsters that no one in town could pretend the place was normal," Dawn shared. "But Buffy is also kind of a demon magnet. We've had zombies, ghosts, and reanimated skeletons and various other monsters and demons attack us before. Sometimes they'd break into the house we lived in. Vampires can't come in without an invitation. But there are plenty of other demons that don't need one."

"That's crazy!" Matt exclaimed.

"Yeah, I don't really miss Sunnydale," Dawn said with a grimace. "Things are so much better now. First, we went to Europe. That was awesome. And now we're here in Mystic Falls."

"Where you have hybrids, werewolves, and vampires," Matt said with a smile.

"Makes it more homey," Dawn teased.

"You're insane," Matt said, grinning at her. She was really hot but didn't seem to know it. And she didn't seem to let the horrible things she'd seen affect her much. He didn't know anyone like her. Like he and Elena, she'd lost family and friends. However, she was very different from Elena. Matt realized that he liked the difference.

Dawn felt she was going to burst under his admiring gaze. She really wished he'd ask her out.

"Order up!" the cook yelled, breaking up their moment.

A short distance away, Rebekah was choking on her soda. Willow's friend was making her laugh so much that she couldn't even drink her soda. Willow and Xander often finished each other's sentences and had so many stories. She couldn't help but envy their close friendship. She and her brothers were not like that.

"You two were never together? You seem very close to be just friends," Rebekah observed.

"Well, I did have the hugest crush on him most of my life. But he never noticed me. He was too busy crushing on Buffy," Willow said with a fond smile.

"I noticed you. Eventually," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Only after I started dating Oz," Willow said.

"Oz?" Rebekah asked. "You dated a guy? I thought you were gay."

"I am now. But I always liked boys. I fell in love with a woman after Oz," she said. "Oz was the perfect guy for me. He was the greatest first boyfriend."

"So what about you?" Xander asked Rebekah. "What kind of guy or girl do you go for?"

"I go for guys," Rebekah said quickly, giving Willow an uncomfortable look.

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it," Willow said with a flirtatious grin.

"Well, hey, I'm single," Xander volunteered, giving Rebekah an admiring once over. "And you are one very beautiful woman. What kind of guy do you usually like? Does he have to have two eyes? 'Cause that may be a problem."

Rebekah looked at Willow unsure if he was serious or not.

Willow laughed. "Don't tease her Xander. She is new to our ways!" she said.

"I am teasing," Xander said. "But you are beautiful and every beautiful woman I meet these days is a slayer. I've never met a hot vampire woman that wasn't a demon. Can you show me your vamp face?"

"Oh, yes. That would be kind of cool. The vampires we kill are all bumpy and ugly when they attack," Willow said. "Your brother didn't even flash a fang at us."

"We usually don't unless we're experiencing heightened emotions or about to feed," Rebekah said. "I've never noticed before, but Klaus is not pure vampire. He doesn't often show his vampire nature."

"So you can't show us then?" Xander asked, disappointed.

Willow slipped out of the booth and moved to sit next to Rebekah. "Maybe I can help you," she offered.

"Help me with what?" Rebekah asked.

"Bring out some of that heightened emotion," Willow said as she gazed at her in admiration. "If you just quit thinking of me as a woman but as a person, the idea of an attraction between us may not freak you out."

Rebekah gave her a nervous glance and then looked at Xander who seemed amused by Willow's boldness. What Rebekah couldn't know was how far Willow had come. She used to be afraid to even talk to guys, but now she was fearless.

"Close your eyes," Willow advised. Rebekah looked apprehensive. "Trust me. Just relax and close your eyes. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You couldn't," Rebekah said flatly. It wasn't a challenge—just a fact.

Willow didn't want to argue. She wanted to know if the two of them were going to just be friends or if there was possibility for something more. For some reason, having Xander here as her wing-man gave her confidence. She looked at him, and he gave her a big grin and two thumbs up. Willow reached for Rebekah's hand. She laced their fingers together with one of her hands. The other hand she moved and ran a finger gently down Rebekah's cheek. She was so soft. Surprisingly, she wasn't cold like Angel and Spike were. Instead, Willow could feel the heat coming off of her in waves.

"What are you doing?" Rebekah asked with her eyes closed.

"Just introducing you to my touch. Is it repulsive?" she asked.

Rebekah frowned as if contemplating her question. She shook her head. "No," she admitted.

Willow moved over and placed her lips on Rebekah's. She peppered Rebekah's mouth with butterfly kisses. Startled, Rebekah opened her eyes and gazed at Willow. "Did that disgust you?" Willow asked frankly.

Rebekah's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "No. It just surprised me," she said.

"No vamp face, so I guess I'll have to try something else," Willow said with a mischievous smile. She leaned in and took advantage of Rebekah's slightly opened mouth and kissed her. It was a kiss meant to garner a response. Willow used all her considerable skill to entice the untouchable and incredibly attractive vampire. She kept one hand holding Rebekah's and the other she moved to her cheek. It didn't take long before Rebekah responded, moving her tongue tentatively against Willow's.

Rebekah found the sensation of kissing a woman for the first time strange and surprising. She realized that Willow had been right about something. It didn't matter anymore that it was another woman kissing her. What mattered was that it was Willow. Another powerful and beautiful woman desired her. Rebekah found that realization intoxicating. She found herself compelled to respond to the kiss.

Willow pulled back and smiled at Rebekah. Rebekah's eyes were dark, and tiny veins were all around them. Xander moved forward to get a better look. "That's so cool!" he enthused, breaking the spell.

Rebekah turned toward him, looking embarrassed. Willow pushed her cheek back toward her, so she could look her in the eyes. "Hey, don't be embarrassed. I think it's totally sexy," Willow said, smiling.

"Much better than the vamps we've known," Xander said in agreement.

"If you two are done making out, your food's ready," Dawn said. They looked at her and saw her holding a tray and smiling.

"Willow came up with a fun new way to see Rebekah's vamp face," Xander said with a grin.

Dawn put down their plates and looked at Rebekah's face. "It is much cooler than Spike's vamp face," she observed.

"Do I get a turn?" Xander asked Rebekah hopefully.

Willow put a proprietary hand on Rebekah's on the table. "No, I saw her first," she said with a grin. "If you want your own, hot original vamp, she's got some really delicious looking brothers. I think they're all single."

Xander choked on the coke he was drinking at Willow's remark. Rebekah looked at him curiously. "You like men also?" Rebekah asked.

"No!" Xander shouted. "I mean it's a valid life choice." He eyed Willow as he gave his standard response. Then he glared at her. "But I am _not_ and never will be attracted to guys! It's bad enough I'm surrounded all the time by women stronger than me. But I do not want to have sex with guys!"

Rebekah grinned and repeated Willow's early line. "Don't knock it until you try it," she said.

Willow laughed. "Very true. Good one!" she exclaimed, admiring Rebekah's dry delivery.

"Now you girls are just being mean!" Xander complained.

"It's only 'cause you make it so easy," Willow said grinning at her friend.

"I vote we find a new whipping boy. Let's bring Matt over here. I know all kinds of dumb jock jokes," Xander said hopefully.

"He's a dumb jock?" Rebekah asked.

"I can tell by looking at him he's a jock. I don't know if he's dumb or not," Xander said.

"Maybe he'll be in one of my classes. Or the other teachers will tell me. They talk you know. I'll find out soon enough," Willow said with a wink.

"Your classes?" Rebekah asked.

"I start school tomorrow. I'm going to be a teacher," Willow said excitedly. "Computer classes."

"That sounds like fun," Rebekah said wistfully. "I never got to go to high school. It was never around, of course, when I was younger. Girls didn't start going to college and becoming educated until the twentieth century, and I missed most of it."

"Doesn't Stefan go to school with Elena? You should totally come, too," Willow suggested.

"You're not allowed to date your students, Will," Xander reminded with a gleam in his eyes.

"Good point. You should totally _not_ come," Willow said to her, smiling to let her know she was teasing.

"I'll think about both options," Rebekah said diplomatically.

"So tell us about yourself, Rebekah," Xander said after they'd all taken several bites of their food. "Unlike the only two vampires I've known, you eat food. Well, Spike did eat some things. But Angel? Never saw him eat. What else can you tell us? I know you have brothers, but how did you guys become vamps?"

"A thousand years ago our mother did some magic. Then our father killed us. We woke up as vampires," Rebekah shared.

Willow and Xander both looked horrified. "And I thought it was bad when my mom tried to burn me at the stake that one time," Willow said. She reached over and squeezed Rebekah's hand in sympathy. "I'm really sorry. That must have been awful."

"Why did she do that?" Xander asked. "And how?"

"She was a very powerful witch who had a close friend that was even more powerful. Klaus had angered some neighbors that were werewolves. They killed one my youngest brothers. My parents did it so we could live," Rebekah said.

"That's better, I guess," Willow said. "My mom was being tricked by the demon Hansel and Gretel. It helps, but it doesn't make it completely okay, does it?"

Rebekah frowned. She hadn't really spent much time thinking about it. It was awful at first, but it had taken all her energy just trying to adjust and survive. She'd never taken much time to blame her mother.

Xander decided to make the conversation lighter. "So you're a thousand years old?" he asked.

"I guess so," Rebekah said.

"You look good for an old lady," he joked.

Willow laughed. "Be careful. Xander likes them old," she said.

"It does seem to work out that way," Xander agreed. "My last girlfriend was a thousand year old ex-vengeance demon."

"Don't forget the mummy you dated in high school," Willow teased.

"Why do you have to always bring up my disastrous high school dating record?" Xander complained. Then he turned back to Rebekah. "So if your mother was a witch does that mean you can do magic, too?"

Willow looked intrigued by the idea and looked at Rebekah with interest. Rebekah shook her head. "You can't be a vampire and a witch. The spirits turn against you. Vampires are seen as an abomination against nature. My mother didn't become one," she said.

"I don't need any spirit help when I do magic," Willow shared. "I bet I could teach you magic. It's in your blood, so it should come easy for you."

They were interrupted by the ringing of Willow's cell phone. She looked at the ID and answered it. "Hey, Buffy. What's up?...Okay...Sure...an hour? Where?...Okay. See ya." She hung up and looked at her friends. "Buffy needs me. Damon is having problems with the mayor. Seems like someone's little brother has a big mouth," she said looking at Rebekah.

"Kol?" she asked.

"He told the mayor what really happened to Tyler Lockwood. The mayor is out for blood," Willow said.

"Like literally? Evil mayor in this town, too? What is it with small towns and their mayors?" Xander asked.

"No, she's not evil. She's just a normal grieving mother," Willow said. "We have to meet Buffy at the church in a hour."

"Plenty of time to learn all Rebekah's secrets," Xander said with a mischievous grin at Rebekah.

Rebekah wasn't sure her brothers would like her giving away all her secrets, but for some reason she didn't seem to care.

****** _*Back at the Salvatore's Where We Left Off*_ ******

Buffy looked at the Sheriff and then at the deputies she'd brought.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. The mayor is understandably upset," Liz said.

"Come inside so we can talk about this," Buffy said to her.

Liz said something to her deputies and stepped inside. Buffy shut the door behind her.

"I am not going to jail!" Damon said dismissively.

"Damon, what do you want me to do? An order has been issued for your arrest," Liz said. "You can't compel the mayor or my deputies. They're all on vervain. Vervain that you supply, remember?"

"I'm going to have to stop that," Damon said sourly.

"Elijah was able to compel the mayor. He ordered her to stop taking vervain," Stefan reminded them. "Maybe she's still not on it."

"We're not going to brainwash the mayor," Buffy said, clearly not okay with the idea.

"Is it true? Did you kill Tyler?" Liz asked Damon.

"Klaus turned Tyler into a sired hybrid. He told him to break Elena's arm, and he did. He sat there while Klaus told Stefan to pick which one of us lived. Me or Elena. Stupid Stefan chose me and left Elena there. Luckily, the merry band of superheroes came and rescued her," Damon said pointing to Buffy. "Tyler had to die. We couldn't trust him."

Stefan looked at Liz. "You know Damon. Act first. Think later," Stefan said with a shrug.

"There had to be another way," Liz said upset.

Buffy's mind was busy looking for a way out of the mess Damon created. She knew that he'd kill before he'd allow himself to be dragged away and killed by the mayor. She looked at Giles who was thinking the same thing.

"This could easily get out of hand," Giles said.

Buffy looked at Liz. "Do your deputies know Damon is a vampire?" she asked.

"No. No one does but me. The mayor doesn't even know Tyler was a werewolf," Liz said.

"So we have two choices. We can lie like you've been doing or we can come clean to your council and explain who I am," Buffy said.

"This town has been taking care of vampires since its founding," Giles said.

"Who's head of your council?" Buffy asked.

Damon smirked. "I am," he declared.

"A vampire was elected head of the council?" Giles asked in disbelief.

"The mayor and I are friends. She trusts me. I didn't even have to compel her," he said smugly.

Buffy stepped up to Damon. "Damon, I need you to trust me. I have a plan," she told him.

"A plan to what? I'm not going to jail," Damon said.

"If the town thinks you are simply Damon Salvatore, head of a founding family, you have no reason not to go with Liz. They think you're human," Buffy said.

"True," Liz said.

"Let her arrest you," Buffy said.

"Hell no!" Damon exclaimed.

"You will have to trust me. I will take care of this," Buffy assured him.

"What are you going to do?" Stefan asked.

"I'm going to introduce myself to the council. It's time they met the Slayer," Buffy said.

"That's a good idea," Giles said. "They deserve to know what's going on."

Stefan told his brother, "Damon, go with Liz."

Damon glared at Stefan. "It could be a trick. Kol could've told the mayor I'm a vampire," he said.

"Call a meeting of your council. Some place neutral. Can you do that?" Buffy asked. "An emergency meeting?"

"With Damon's arrest, I could get them all to come," Liz said.

"Do that. One hour should give you enough time to meet," Buffy said.

Liz nodded.

Damon was not happy with their plan. "So many things can go wrong here," he said.

"You're going to have to trust me," Buffy said.

"I don't," Damon said flatly.

"Well, trust _me_ , brother. I'll go with her," Stefan said.

"Twice in one day, Stefan?" Damon said with a half-smile.

"Isn't it what I do? Clean up your messes," Stefan said.

"True," Damon said smirking. He held out his hands to Liz. "Fine, arrest me."

"No need for that. Just follow me out to my squad car," Liz said. "I'll take you down for processing."

"Bring Damon to the meeting afterward," Buffy ordered.

Liz nodded. "We'll meet at the church," she told Buffy.

With one last look at his brother, Damon followed her outside.

"I'll need to call Willow. I want her there," Buffy said. She pulled out her phone.

****** _*An Hour Later****_ ***

Buffy and her friends entered the church. She told Xander to wait outside with the girls. She may not need them. Giles, Alaric, Faith, Stefan, and Willow all went inside. Alaric led them to the back room where he knew the council would be assembled.

Mayor Lockwood frowned at the visitors. She turned to Alaric. "Outsiders are not allowed at this meeting," she said.

"They're the reason this meeting was called," Alaric said. "The council needs to know about some things."

"Stefan is too young to be at this meeting," Carol said with a disapproving frown.

"He's eighteen now, Carol. His brother has filled him in," Alaric explained. "This meeting concerns his brother. He has a right to be here."

Carol frowned. Then Liz came in with Damon.

"Why isn't he in cuffs?" Carol asked.

"A claim doesn't make the man guilty, Carol." Liz replied. "He is one of us. He deserves our trust. He has earned our trust."

Damon smiled at Liz. She had always proven that he could count on her.

"What are you doing here, Bill?" Liz asked in surprise when she spotted her ex-husband.

Bill Forbes stepped up. "The mayor called me. She told me some disturbing things. She had some suspicions for a long time. You should've called me," he scolded. "Especially when it concerns our daughter."

Liz eyes widened as she realized he had been told about Caroline. She looked at Damon who nodded his head slightly. He had caught Bill's meaning. "So this is the man who left you for another man?" Damon said scornfully. "You were very stupid. Liz is great."

Bill blinked in surprise. "I know she is," he said.

"Damon, now is not the time," Liz said in embarrassment. She glanced at Giles, who looked sympathetic.

"Is everyone here?" Buffy asked Liz.

"Yes," she said. She looked at the council members, who were all sitting in chairs watching them except for Carol and Bill.

"This is Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenburg, Buffy Summers, and Faith," Liz introduced. She frowned at Faith. I don't know your last name."

"Faith is fine," Faith said.

"Who are these people, Liz? Why have you brought them here?" Carol asked.

"I am the only surviving member of the Watcher's Council in Great Britain," Giles supplied. Giles saw that one or two recognized the name, but most had no idea what he was talking about.

"Watcher's Council? A council like ours?" Carol asked.

"Much older. We've been in existent for countless generations. Probably one of your founding families was a member or had family a part of our order, I suspect," Giles said.

"What do Watcher's do?" Bill asked.

"We supervise and train vampire slayers," Giles supplied. "Vampire slayers have existed almost as long as humans have been around. Every generation has a slayer that was imbued with supernatural strength and power to fight vampires and other demons. The slayer was always a girl. When she died, another one was called to take her place."

"I am the slayer," Buffy announced.

Faith waved. "And so am I. Buffy drowned once and another was called. That created two slayers. When that slayers was killed, I was called," Faith explained.

The council started murmuring trying to take in the news.

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?" Bill asked.

"You have a vampire problem," Buffy said.

Carol walked toward Damon. She pulled a leaf from her pocket. She touched it to Damon's face. When he screamed, she said, "Yes, we do."

A door opened and two deputies dragged in an unconscious Caroline. Liz's eyes widened in alarm and surprise. "What are you doing with my daughter?" she demanded.

"Your daughter's a vampire," Carol said coldly. "But I bet you already knew that. It seems the town has become infested. I called Bill here to help clean up the mess you've allowed."

Liz looked a Bill, a look of betrayal on her face. "We'll help her, Liz," Bill said.

"Help her? What did you do to her?" Liz asked angrily going toward Caroline.

"Vervain darts. She'll live," Carol said. "For now."

Buffy realized that things were quickly getting out of hand. She was going to have to take control. She stepped forward. "Release her. Now," she ordered the deputies. The deputies looked confuse. They didn't recognize Buffy or her authority.

Liz reinforced the order. "Put her down," she ordered. The deputies put her in a chair. Liz went over to check on her.

"You have no authority in this town," Carol said to Buffy. Her grief for Tyler had broken her. Her only child was dead. A vampire had killed him. They all needed to die. The betrayal of Damon Salvatore was a heavy blow to the council, but they were strong. As always, they would recover. She walked over to Stefan, who stepped back. Faith got in front of her.

"Stop, lady," Faith ordered.

"He's probably a vampire, too," Carol said. "We've become infested."

"You have no idea," Buffy said. "You have a much bigger problem on your hands than the Salvatore's."

Several members got to their feet. Everyone started talking at once and shouting their opinions. Many were calling for Caroline and Damon's death. Buffy sighed and turned to Willow. "I think you need to get their attention," she said.

Willow nodded and smiled. She used magic to amplify her voice above all the noise. "Be quiet!" she ordered. Everyone looked at her in surprise. They all quit talking.

"Willow here is a witch. A very powerful witch," Buffy explained.

Willow waved her hand and said, "Sit down." Immediately, they all sat down. Carol went to a chair and sat.

Only Bill remained standing. He frowned at them. "Massive mind control? That's your idea of helping?" he asked with a touch of scorn.

Buffy moved and stood in front of him. "Go take a seat before I make you. I don't need magic to make you do what I want," she said firmly, the implied threat in her voice.

Bill looked in disbelief at the tiny blonde woman. Alaric stepped forward. "You need to hear them out. They can be trusted," he said. Bill frowned, clearly not happy. However, he turned and took a seat.

Buffy faced the council. "My sister and Willow have moved to this town. Willow is starting at your high school tomorrow as a teacher. So Mystic Falls is now my new home. You have a vampire slayer living here now. Vampire business is mine. It is my job to protect you and this town. That is what a slayer does. However, there are many things you don't know. If you give me your attention, I will explain," Buffy began. Then she started to explain about Sunnydale and the vampires she had known before coming to Mystic Falls.

The council listened with rapt attention. Buffy hoped her plan worked.

***** _*To Be Continued*******_


	24. Punishment

****** _Where We Left Off*_ *****

Buffy explained to the council members the new threat that faced Mystic Falls. They listened without interrupting. Giles interjected a few times.

"You expect me to believe my own son was a werewolf?" Carol Lockwood asked in disbelief.

"You can read the Gilbert journals. Proof is in there. Jonathan Gilbert wrote about it," Alaric said.

"He wasn't just a werewolf," Damon said. "He was also a vampire. He was Klaus's first hybrid. Elena Gilbert is the key to making the hybrids. He drained her once in a sacrifice. Her uncle John bound his life force to hers, so when she died, he died in her place."

"That's what happened to him?" Bill asked in surprise.

"Elena was really his daughter. His brother adopted her when her birth mother was unable to care for her. They were in high school," Alaric explained.

"Elena isn't a vampire?" Carol asked dubiously.

"No, she's not," Stefan said. "Damon and I are not evil. Neither is Caroline. Unlike the vampires the slayers battle, we are not demons. We can choose to turn off our humanity, though. When that happens we can lose control. It happens."

"That's when we step in," Buffy said. "I am the slayer. Policing vampires is my business, not the job of civilians. You guys can get killed. None of you are strong enough to kill a vampire."

"I have," Alaric said smugly.

"That's 'cause Logan Falls was a newly turned vamp that didn't know what he was doing," Damon said with a smirk.

"Logan Falls was a vampire?" someone asked.

"Stefan and I had nothing to do with that," Damon said quickly. "Nor did we turn Caroline. She was accidentally turned. She was injured in that car wreck when you all turned the whammy device on to identify and kill all the vamps over a year ago. Well, Tyler was affected like his father because they have the werewolf gene. That's why he wrecked the car. She was going to die, so I gave her my blood to save her. Then Katherine, the original doppelganger, came to town and killed Caroline. She had vampire blood in her system. That's how a vampire is made."

"Did you kill this Katherine?" Bill asked, angry at the thought of his little girl being killed and turned into an abomination.

"Katherine is 500 years old. The older the vampire the stronger they are. Stefan and I were turned in the 1860's," Damon shared. He saw no reason to go into further explanations over why else they hadn't killed Katherine.

"So you're the _original_ founding Salvatores?" a man asked in amazement.

Damon nodded. "Yep. I wouldn't have killed Tyler if I didn't think he was a threat. When they're sired, they do anything Klaus says. Like a puppet. If Klaus told him to kill Elena or even Caroline, he would've. A werewolf bite is lethal to us," Damon explained.

"My son wouldn't have done that!" Carol insisted.

Alaric walked to the door and motioned for someone. Elena stepped inside. "I think you need to hear from Elena," Alaric said.

Elena nervously faced a group of adults she had known most of her life one way or another. Parents of school mates and friends. She waved her hand. "Hi," she said.

"Elena tell the council what happened with Tyler and Klaus yesterday," Alaric said.

"Well, Damon, Jeremy, Caroline, and I were leaving the Grille when Tyler and Kol came up to us as we were getting into Damon's car. Kol is Klaus's brother," Elena explained. "Tyler went to Caroline and said how happy he was that he didn't have to change anymore. Klaus has broken his werewolf curse. Changing into a werewolf is a painful process. Then suddenly Kol broke Jeremy's neck and Damon's. Tyler told Caroline he was sorry and broke her neck. Then he grabbed me and took me to Klaus."

"Jeremy Gilbert is dead?" Bill asked in shock.

"No," Elena said. "The Gilbert men have this ring Jonathan Gilbert invented that brings them back to life if they are killed by a supernatural creature. He was wearing it. Alaric has the other one."

Everyone looked at Alaric who held up his hand. "I've been killed a few times. Twice by Damon," he shared.

"That's not helping me," Damon said sourly.

Willow whispered to Buffy, "I need to get a look at those rings. You can't cheat death like that without some type of cosmic consequence." Damon looked sharply at her, overhearing her remark. He was frowning.

"First, do the daylight rings for me," Buffy whispered back. Willow nodded.

"Anyway, Kol took Damon also. Then Klaus called Stefan and told him to pick which one of us he wanted to live. Me or Stefan. Stefan didn't believe Klaus would hurt me 'cause he wants my blood," Elena said. "Klaus told Tyler to break my arm. He did."

"Your arm isn't broken," Carol pointed out.

"That's because I gave her my blood and healed her," Stefan explained. "My blood can't heal death, though."

Buffy was growing tired of the explanations. "So you know just about all there is to know," she said, stepping forward again. "Most importantly, you need to understand that Damon is not your business. He's mine."

Angry murmurs and protests broke out. Bill Lockwood stepped forward. "You can't undo traditions that have existed in this town since its founding," he said hotly.

"Don't think of it as that," Giles said. "Your council was formed to protect its citizens. I'm sure at a grave loss to you at times. Now you don't have to worry about your families. At least not while you have a slayer in town."

"But what if you leave? You just arrived. We don't know you," Bill said with a disapproving frown.

Giles walked to the backdoor and opened it. The slayers filed in. After they were squeezed in and stood there waiting, Buffy said, "I have many slayers. Willow changed the world with her magic. Now every potential slayer is a slayer. We have many back in England. If I am called away, I will not leave this town unprotected. That is a promise."

Carol stood up. "My only son is dead. My husband is dead. Damon Salvatore must pay for what he's done. He needs to die," Carol said determinedly.

Elena stepped forward. "Tyler was my friend. Like Caroline still is. I loved Stefan even when I knew he was a vampire. He's a good man. I don't think Damon should've killed Tyler. But Damon cares too much about me sometimes. He's not always rational when it comes to my safety. He doesn't think. He just eliminates threats to me," she said apologetically. She felt responsible for Tyler's death. Damon wouldn't have killed Tyler if it wasn't for her. Another death to add to her conscience.

"He's dangerous. We can't trust him," Carol said distraught.

"You've been trusting me. I've been helping this town. Protecting Elena. I even saved your son and Caroline last May when Klaus was going to use him for his sacrifice. I almost died saving your son," Damon said sourly. "I saved Caroline again when Mason Lockwood's werewolf buddies had her locked up and were torturing her. Tyler didn't even try to save her. It was me and Stefan."

"There has to be consequences for murder," Bill said firmly.

"Haven't I lost enough people I care about? My parents are gone. My Uncle John and Aunt Jenna. I can't lose Damon," she said. She'd already lost Stefan, but she didn't share that with the council.

Her heartfelt pleas impacted all of them. They looked away from her, feeling torn.

"It is my job to dole out punishment to vampires," Buffy said. "This is slayer business. I will deal with Damon."

"How?" Carol asked.

"Yes, Buffy, how are you going to punish the big bad vampire?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"I'm not going to stake him," she said.

"Like you could," Damon scoffed in disbelief.

"Do we need to go there again?" Buffy said with a warning.

Damon eyed the room full of slayers. He knew when he was outgunned and remained silent.

"I'm so over this," Damon said. He turned to exit the room. Willow anticipated his superspeed and threw up a barrier. The council members watched in amazement as he bounced off of it and fell to the ground. He growled at the woman in annoyance. "I'm not sticking around while they convince you to kill me!"

"There's more than one way to punish a vamp," Buffy said. "He needs blood to survive. We can lock him up for a while and starve him."

Damon started to protest. "You and your brother cannot go around killing indiscriminately any longer. You may not be demons, but I will kill you both if it happens again," she said to him glancing at Stefan. "Don't test me on this."

The onlookers were surprised at the way the small woman managed to intimidate the newly revealed vampire. Maybe she was who she said she was after all.

"How long will you starve him?" Bill asked curiously.

"That's just one solution," Buffy said. "There's also banishment. We can send him away from Mystic Falls."

"I'm not going anywhere," Damon said stubbornly.

"Let's take a vote," Alaric said, giving Damon his _shut up if you know what's good for you_ look. "Banishment or starvation."

Elena wanted to protest both suggestions and gave Buffy a betrayed look. Buffy ignored her. When Caroline started waking up, Elena went to her.

"Okay, let's take a vote," Bill agreed. Carol nodded. She wasn't satisfied, but they had told her so much about her own son that she didn't know what to believe anymore.

While they were voting, Buffy went up to Damon and said, "I told you to trust me. Quit acting like a child." Stefan could hear her comment and snickered. Damon glared at him.

"Banishment," Bill said. "We want him to leave town and never return."

"I didn't say that, but I'll make sure he leaves. At least for a while," Buffy said.

"Not good enough," Carol protested. "I don't want to ever see him again."

"That can be arranged," Damon said in annoyance.

"Shut up," Buffy said crossly. The man just didn't know when to quit. He needed to learn some much needed humility. And Buffy knew just how to make sure he learned his lesson.

"I let you have some input as a courtesy," Buffy said. "I'm not asking for your permission. I don't work for you. But I will work on your behalf. Damon will come with me. I will deal with him."

"Dad?" Caroline asked, looking in surprise at her father.

Buffy glanced at her. "And anyone who thinks they can hurt or try to kill Caroline will answer to me. She is not evil. She doesn't feed on humans. Most importantly, she is my sister's friend," Buffy stated.

They looked at Caroline, who looked bewildered to find herself surrounded by council members. Giles led the slayers out of the room.

"Are we good here?" Faith asked Buffy. Buffy met the gaze of each council member. "Is there going to be a problem?"

Liz Forbes stood and faced her friends, the council members. "I haven't known long about all this, about my daughter. At first I was horrified, as you can imagine. I thought my daughter was gone forever. But she's not. She's still the same daughter I had, but now she's much stronger. She's more confident. We can trust these people," Liz told them. They nodded.

Buffy was done. She motioned to Damon, "Come on."

Damon looked to Liz. "Are the charges going to be dropped?" he asked her.

She looked at Carol, who finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just go," she said warily.

All but Caroline turned to go. Caroline nervously faced her father. "He hates me now," Caroline said to her mother.

"He could never hate you," Liz replied.

When everyone left, Bill stopped in front of her. He examined her wordlessly. Finally, he said to Liz, "How could you not have told me?"

"How would I have begun that conversation?" Liz asked.

Caroline stood up and faced her father. "I'm still the same, Daddy. I'm still your little girl," she said.

Her father looked at her with distaste. "No, you're not," he said.

The look in his eyes pierced Caroline painfully. Her eyes filled with tears and she ran off, leaving her mother behind to glare at Bill.

"Some things never change," she said in disgust. "You're still an idiot!"

"Our daughter is a monster!" he said defensively.

"She's not! She's strong, brave, and selfless. She is all that she was and so much more. Don't let your prejudice cause you to lose her. I would think that you of all people would be more tolerant," she said pointedly before walking away.

****** _The Salvatores******_

Everyone knew to reconvene over at the Salvatores. Buffy, Faith, Willow, and Giles were the last to arrive. Xander was already there with the slayerettes. He was eying a fuming Damon warily. He looked up in relief when his friends reappeared.

"Reinforcement! Thank God! Pretty boy here looks ready to eat someone, and I don't want one of the few guys in this house to bite the dust, so I'm glad you're back," Xander said.

"They don't turn to dust when they die," Willow said.

"So we have to deal with bodies? What a pain!" Xander said.

"There will be no bodies to deal with! At least not mine!" Damon said with a glare.

"Girls, why don't you all go explore the town or go upstairs? I need to talk to Damon and Stefan," Buffy said.

"You can't turn those girls loose on the town!" Xander said in concern.

"Then go with them," Buffy said.

"You're sure?" Xander said, not liking the tension in the room.

"We'll be fine," Buffy assured him.

"'Cause one-eyed boy here is so scary," Damon said dryly.

"Don't knock Xander. He's tougher than he looks," Faith said, flashing Xander a smile.

Stefan gave Xander a sour look. For some reason, he did not like Faith taking up for him, especially since she hinted of intimacy between them.

Xander grinned at her. "Come on ladies! These guys are a drag anyway. Let's go find Dawnie and her witch friend Bonnie. Maybe she can show us some trick we haven't seen yet," he suggested. The group all filed out the door.

After they left, Giles said, "So what's your plan?"

"I think Damon needs to learn that actions have consequences and that redemption must be earned," Buffy said flatly.

"Oh? And how do you think to teach me that?" he asked. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Let's just go, Damon. Elena doesn't need us anymore. Why are we still here?" Stefan asked. He recalled an echo of what he once felt, but it was like looking in a dirty mirror. He knew a part of him cared deeply. However, only his tie to his brother seemed real. He looked at Faith. There was such a pull toward the slayer, but she was dangerous. Some fires could consume a person completely.

"I don't trust these people, Stefan! I am not leaving my home or Elena in their hands!" Damon said stubbornly.

"What are you thinking?" Giles asked. Buffy stepped away from the two brothers. Faith, Willow, and Giles followed.

"I was thinking of paying a visit in L.A. to some old friends," Buffy shared.

"Angel and Spike?" Willow asked in surprise.

"They've aligned themselves with Wolfram and Hart. They can't be trusted anymore, remember?" Giles reminded her.

"I am not sure what exactly is going on or what has. Andrew led them on some wild goose chase when they went to Europe looking for me. You and he made calls without consulting me. I let you speak for me because I was so busy with the new slayers, so I lost touch with Angel," Buffy said crossly. "However, I know that Angel would never align himself with our enemy, not without good reason. Nor would Spike work with Angel unless it was to do something good. He has a soul. He's not William the Bloody anymore."

"Whatever they were involved in got Wesley killed. Angel shipped the body home to his family, but he didn't bother showing up himself," Giles said.

"Spike died saving the world. He was brought back to fight for his redemption. He wouldn't have been given a second chance if he didn't deserve it. We may have lost touch, but I know them both. Who better to help us with our Damon problem?" Buffy said.

"You know we have super-hearing, Goldilocks. We can hear everything you're saying!" Damon called out.

Buffy ignored him. "Will, make two daylight rings for them. They deserve to walk in the sunlight," she said. "You have Bonnie's grimore?"

"Yeah, she left it in my room. We were researching ways to bind Klaus. I'll get her to walk me through it," Willow said.

"So you're going to take him to Los Angeles? Do you think it's a good time to leave now?" Giles said.

"Faith can handle everything. She has you guys helping her," Buffy said. She looked at Faith.

"It'll be fine," Faith said.

"I'll leave in the morning. I won't be gone longer than a day," she said. "Klaus is out of town anyway."

"That's what Rebekah told us today," Willow agreed.

"So you want to pawn me off on two of your exes?" Damon scoffed. When they looked surprised, he said, "Barbie's got a big mouth. Angel is the one with the gypsy curse and Spike is the one who died closing the hellmouth in Sunnydale, but he's alive somehow. Do none of you stay dead?"

"Some do," Buffy said. "However, both Angel and Spike died closing a hell dimension. Angel I killed and Spike willing died to save all of us. Both were spit back into our world and given a chance to do good. They both have a lot to atone for. As do you. They can show you how it's done."

"Whatever," Damon said, rolling his eyes.

Stefan sighed in resignation. "Brother, we can't win a fight with them. We're out gunned. Go make some new friends. I'll stay and keep an eye on things," Stefan told him.

"Seriously?" Damon asked doubtfully. "You won't go fighting Klaus and get yourself killed? Not without me?"

Stefan grinned. "I promise not to have too much fun without you," he assured his brother.

Rick came in. "So what did I miss? Elena wanted to come, but I convinced her to go home. She and Jeremy want to be back in their own place," Alaric said.

"I'm going to do a spell that will keep out all the vampires that have been invited in. It will keep out Klaus and his family, so we won't need to worry so much," Willow said.

"Will you have time to do both?" Buffy asked.

"Sure. I'll get Bonnie to help. We'll need some rings," Willow said.

"It doesn't have to be a ring. Any kind of jewelry will work," Alaric shared.

"I have a ring in my jewelry box we can use for Angel. We'll find another one for Spike," she said.

"I'll head out and get Bonnie," Willow said. She left.

"So what's the plan?" Rick asked Buffy.

"I'm taking your buddy out of town. I have some friends I think that can teach him a lesson or two," Buffy said.

"She's going to pawn me off on her old boyfriends," Damon said with a smirk.

Alaric raised a questioning eyebrow to Buffy. She flushed and glared at Damon. "Angel and Spike are two champions who spend their time fighting for others. Strangers even. They don't go around killing their friends when they get pissed off," Buffy said pointedly.

"Not unless you give Angel that one moment of pure happiness and he goes all Angelus on us," Faith said with a smirk.

Buffy felt her face get even hotter, and she glanced at Alaric. "Shut up, Faith!" she exclaimed. "Angel and I are only friends. It's been several years. We've both moved on."

"Yeah, to Spike," Faith said, goading her.

Buffy pulled back and slugged her. She returned the hit. "Don't get mad at me because your love life is checkered," she said heatedly.

"At least I have a love life. I don't just screw'em and leave'em like you," Buffy said sourly.

"Ladies, that's enough," Giles said sternly. "Now is not the time for airing dirty laundry or rehashing the past." He took off his glasses and began to clean them as he looked at both girls in disapproval.

Damon snickered. At least the slayers were never boring.

"Sorry," Buffy mumbled.

"I was just teasing, B. You really need to lighten up," Faith said with a grin.

"Yeah, pull that stick out of your ass!" Damon added laughing.

Rick walked over to him. "So are you going to go with her?" Rick asked.

"I guess. Stefan promises to be a good boy and watch out for Elena and not get himself killed," Damon said.

"I'll do my best," Stefan said dryly.

"So book us two red-eyes to L.A.," Buffy told Damon.

"Me? This is your road trip. You pay for it," Damon said.

"You are the one with the mansion. You know how many mouths I'm responsible for feeding?" Buffy said pointedly. "Some of these girls come to me with just the clothes on their backs. I'm sure you can afford one round trip ticket and one one-way ticket."

"Not the point," Damon grumbled.

"So are you going to go say goodbye to Elena?" Rick asked.

Damon thought a moment. Then he shook his head. "It'll just upset both of us," he said. He drained his drink and went up to his room.

Stefan looked at Rick, who was looking torn. "He'll be okay," Stefan said.

"Should I go with him? There's no telling what kind of trouble he'll get into without us," Rick said.

"He's gotten along fine for over a hundred years without either of us," Stefan reminded him. "He's a big boy. He'll be fine." Stefan slapped Rick on the back and followed his brother upstairs.

Faith eyed Buffy and Rick. She decided to give the two would-be lovers some privacy. "Giles, you and I better go rescue Xander," she suggested.

"All right," Giles said. Faith gave Buffy a knowing grin and led Giles out of the house.

"So I guess we should go, too," Rick said. He turned to leave.

Buffy reached out and grabbed his hand. "Are you okay with me going to L.A.?" she asked.

He looked surprised at the question. "Is it really up to me?" he asked.

"I just wanted to assure you that Angel and Spike are a part of my past. I mean I care about them, but I'm not going there to see them if you know what I mean," she said, stumbling a bit over the words.

Rick smiled. "I know what you mean, but you don't have to answer to me about anything," he said.

"I know I don't, but I...uh...well, I like you," Buffy spit out, feeling like an idiot. When did this kind of thing get easy? How could she face any kind of otherworldly threat with such confidence and feel so stupid when it came to guys?

"I like you, too," Rick said quietly. He didn't know how prepared he was to be in another relationship so soon after Jenna, but if he learned anything, he'd learned that life was short. Sometimes you had to grab onto happiness while you could and hold tight to love before it slipped away.

Buffy smiled in relief. "Okay. Well, then I guess we can go. Damon will be fine in L.A. It really will do him some good," she said.

She was looking almost shy and really sweet. Since she still had a hold of his hand, he tugged her forward until she was pressed up against him. Without saying another word, he kissed her. Buffy's other hand went to his shoulder as she returned the kiss.

Damon stood in the doorway watching the two of them caught in a passionate embrace. He was happy that his friend was moving passed his grief with Jenna. However, he had his doubts about Buffy. If she hurt his friend, he may just have to kill her.

****** _The Next Day**_ ****

Buffy and Damon arrived in Los Angeles. There were very few words spoken between them on the plane. Willow had given her the jewelry for the boys before she left. Coming out of the airport, they hailed a taxi. Buffy gave the driver the address Giles had given her. She hope it was the right address. She'd feel pretty stupid dragging Damon all this way and having the wrong address. She pulled out the Irish Claddagh ring Angel had given her for her birthday several years ago. The memory of the ring was bittersweet. She had tried to get rid of it once when she thought he was dead. When he was thrown back from the hell dimension, he said he'd found it in the mansion. When he was out of his mind, he had held on to it. He'd eventually given it back to her, asking her to keep it as a token of their friendship, memory of their love. She never wore it, but she did like having it and remembering simpler times. Times when she had her mother with her and didn't have so many to be responsible for. She knew the ring would be too small for Angel. However, she figured he could either wear it on a chain around his neck or maybe his pinky. Buffy thought he'd appreciate that it would be the instrument that'd bring him back into the sunlight.

The taxi stopped at the address. They got out. Damon grabbed his bag out of the trunk and faced the building. It was a modest three story flat. Buffy and Damon went up the steps and rang the doorbell. Buffy tried the door. It was unlocked. Her phone rang. She saw that it was Dawn and answered it. She gestured to Damon to go on in while she talked to Dawn. Two minutes later she heard a loud crash. She hung up the phone and raced inside.

Damon was on the ground and a slight woman was holding him down with her foot on his neck. Buffy blinked in surprise. The woman had on a blood red body suit. Like real blood, dark red not bright, it was surprising and a bit disconcerting. She had dark, blue streaked air and unearthly blue eyes.

"You dare enter my domain without invitation!" the woman said, glaring down at Damon and throwing Buffy a scathing look.

"Oh, uh, we were looking for some friends of mine," Buffy said quickly. "We didn't mean to invade your domain."

Damon tried in vain to remove the girl's foot from his neck. He was really getting tired of these tiny women slapping him around. However, he didn't think this blue tinged woman was a slayer. Her eyes were a freaky blue color and the blue in her hair seemed to bleed onto her forehead. She was both beautiful and creepy as hell.

"Illyria! What's going on?" a voice called out.

Buffy looked and saw Angel appear from a room.

"This creature dared enter our domain without invitation," Illyria said arrogantly.

"We are a business, Illyria. How many times do I have to tell you? People are allowed to come into this floor. Your private apartment upstairs is another matter," Angel said tiredly. He looked down at the man on the floor.

"Those quarters are not big enough for a god!" she declared haughtily.

"Well, you're not a god anymore," Angel reminded her. "Let the man go." When Illyria reluctantly removed her foot, Angel held out his hand to help the man up. That's when he finally spotted Buffy.

"Buffy?" he said in amazement. After the battles he'd fought the past year, the sight of her was like a shot of sunshine. He was bone weary and in great need of something to lift his spirits. Buffy was all that and more. He went and pulled her in tight for a hug.

Like always, seeing Angel filled Buffy with warmth. The bond between them would never be completely severed. He was an unfilled dream, a secret longing that never quite disappeared. When he pulled back and looked at her, she saw a wariness in his eyes that she'd never seen before. There were lines on his face that his immortality should've prevented. Involuntarily, her hand lifted and traced the faint burrows on his forehead.

"You look tired, Angel," she said softly.

"You have no idea," he said, his eyes full of emotion and unfathomable sorrow.

Buffy was powerless against the pull to comfort this man that she would forever love with some part of her heart. She gave him a kiss of compassion, wanting to bring him comfort.

Damon watched the one time lovers reunite with a cynical glance. Looks like Buffy was full of crap. "Ex, my ass," he said softly.

****** _To Be Continued******_

_So I did decide to bring in Angel and Spike into my tale in a roundabout way. They will NOT be heading to Mystic Falls in this story. didn't intend at all for this to be an Angel crossover, so I hope not to confuse the non-Angel watchers reading my tale too much. However, the theme of redemption is a strong, recurring one in Buffy and Angel (Angel especially). It's one that the Vampire Diaries sorely ignores. Crimes and evils the main characters do are kind of brushed under the rug. I like the contrast of the two worlds, but I thought it'd be fun for Damon to learn a few things from our two first vampire loves. If you are one of the few who never watched Angel (what were you thinking?), I promise to make Illyria a bit clearer in the next chapter. She is a hard character to explain because she is such a brilliant invention of Whedon, and I'll never forgive the WB for canceling Angel when it did!_

_I just finished rewatching the last few episodes of Angel and was reminded of how much Angel lost the last season: Cordy, Wesley, Fred, possibly Gunn. Oh, and to some degrees Connor and Lorne. In my timeline, this story takes place one year after season 7 of Buffy. That puts this chapter a few months after the final episode of Angel where Angel and company killed the Twelve and the Senior Partners unleashed hell upon them. The show ended with us not knowing if they survived or not. I'm assuming that Angel, Spike, and Illyria survived. The Angel comics are NOT canon, so I am not bringing them into this story._


	25. Leaving Mystic Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those rabid fans who have continued to read Buffy and Angel in Whedon's comic books, I wanted to remind you that I am not considering them canon. I am writing this tale as if the last episode we saw on the air was the end. That means that as far as I'm concerned Gunn is dead. He was a human that was severely injured and went into battle against hordes of demons. I am assuming that he didn't make it, so he will not be in my tale. Sorry! (Non-Angel watchers can ignore this note!)
> 
> I am starting this chapter with a Caroline scene from the day before. Then the story will move back to where we left off.

******* _Picking up in Mystic Falls with Caroline After the Council Meeting*******_

Caroline left her parents feeling more lost and alone than she'd felt in a long time. Normally, she'd go to one of her many friends, but things were so confusing. Stefan wasn't the Stefan whose shoulder she could always cry on anymore. Elena was too close to Damon to give her much sympathy. And Bonnie was so wrapped up in witchy stuff with Willow. Caroline thought about going to see Dawn, but she didn't really want to see Buffy right now. Tyler was dead and neither Buffy nor Willow had stopped him. She knew what Willow could do. She refused to believe that Willow couldn't have found a way to stop Damon.

Somehow Caroline found herself at the house Tyler had died in. She rang the doorbell. Rebekah answered it.

"Hello, Caroline. Come in," she said, stepping back to let Caroline in.

Kol was coming down the stairs to see who was at the door. He grinned widely to see her.

"What a lovely surprise!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry for just dropping by," Caroline said, suddenly feeing awkward.

Elijah came into the room. "You are always welcome," he said, giving her a warm smile. "Is everything okay?" He could tell something was bothering her.

"No, not really. I'm not sure why I'm here," she said, sounding a little lost.

"Please, sit down. Can we get you something to drink?" Elijah offered.

"After the day I've had, a drink would be nice," she said, sitting down.

"Blood or booze?" Kol asked moving to the bar area across the room.

"How about both? My father vervained me, so I'm feeling a bit weak," she admitted.

The three siblings looked surprised. "Would you like us to kill him for you?" Kol offered. "I know it's not easy killing family, so we'll be glad to do it for you." He made her drink and handed it to her.

"No!" Caroline said sternly. "Of course, I don't want him killed! He just found out I'm a vampire and overreacted." She took a sip of the drink Kol made for her.

"He didn't know?" Kol asked in surprised as he sat down on the couch next to her.

"No. Since you were such a big mouth and told the mayor what happened to Tyler, a lot of secrets are out. The council knows everything. Buffy told the mayor and the council about you guys, too," Caroline shared.

"Really? Should we expect trouble from the council?" Elijah asked.

"No. Buffy told them that vampires were her business not theirs. She told him that she'd deal with you guys and with Damon," Caroline shared.

"Deal with us how?" Kol asked.

"What is she going to do with Damon?" Rebekah wondered.

"I don't know what she has planned for you all. Damon has been banished. Buffy is going to take him somewhere or make him leave. I don't know. I haven't talked to anyone since I left the church where my father looked at me like I was a monster," Caroline said sadly.

"It will take him some time, but your mother knows what you are and she adjusted. So will your father," Elijah assured her.

"You think so?" Caroline asked hopefully.

"Most fathers love their children, so I'm sure he'll come around," Elijah told her.

"Most do. Too bad ours didn't," Kol said bitterly.

"That's a tale for another day," Elijah said, giving Kol a warning look.

Kol's cell phone rang. "Excuse me," he said to Caroline as he answered it. "Nik? Miss me already?"

Caroline looked at Elijah as Kol moved away to talk to his brother. "Where's Klaus?" she asked.

"I don't know exactly. He is probably out making more hyrids, so he can come back to town to battle the slayers," Elijah said.

Caroline burst out into laughter. "Really? That's going to be quite a battle!" she exclaimed, picturing the look on his face when he saw exactly how many slayers he'd be battling.

"Is there something we should know?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, but I won't spoil the surprise. Let's just say Klaus can make all the hybrids he wants, and he still might be outmatched," she said grinning.

"Really?" Rebekah asked in surprise. "I know Willow's pretty amazing."

"Yes, she is. However, Willow is not the only weapon at Buffy's disposable," Caroline said. "However, I'm nothing if not loyal. I'm not going to spoil their fun. I know they won't actually kill your brother since it would kill me."

"You don't think they would?" Rebekah asked in surprise.

"Buffy told the council that if anyone tried to hurt me they'd answer to her. I'm friends with her sister, and Buffy takes friendship very seriously," Caroline shared. "Not to mention she loves her sister more than anything. She died for her once, you know."

"So I heard," Elijah said dryly.

Kol came back and handed his phone to Caroline. "Nik wants to talk to you," Kol said.

"Me?" Caroline asked in surprise. She took the phone. "Hello?"

"Kol tells me you've been having a rough time, love," Klaus said.

"Yeah, a bit. Where are you?" she asked.

"New York," he replied. "I think I know what'll help make you feel better."

"Damon's head on a platter?" she suggested.

Klaus paused as if considering. "Well, of course, if that will help. I'll send Kol to bring it to you," he said earnestly.

Caroline giggled, not sure if he was joking or not but finding his quick reply amusing. "That's okay. It'll just start a big fight. I'm tired of the fighting," she said warily.

"So take a break," Klaus suggested. "Come to New York. I'm in Albany right now, but I was calling Kol to come join me in New York City."

"New York City? I can't go to New York! School starts tomorrow. My mom'll kill me!" she exclaimed.

"You're a vampire, Caroline," Kol said, easily hearing the conversation. "You have forever to go to school."

"Surely you can take a week or two off? Not forever. Is the first week of school that important?" Klaus asked.

"Not really," Caroline admitted.

"I think a bit of fun is just what you need. You are too big for that little town, Caroline. Let me show you some of the world. You were born for so much more," Klaus said seductively.

"Like I can trust you to not try your compulsion powers on me. Or something else," Caroline said.

"I give you my word you will be the safest girl in the world. My brother and I will be perfect gentlemen," Klaus said.

"I'll think about it," Caroline said. She handed the phone to Kol.

"Taking a trip with my brothers?" Rebekah asked.

"Would you go, too? I might consider it if you came," Caroline said.

She looked at Elijah, who gave her an encouraging smile. "I was actually planning on going to school. I've never been before," she admitted, looking embarrassed. "I thought it might be fun."

"It can be loads," Caroline said enthusiastically.

Kol hung up after getting some instructions from his brother. "Come on, sweet Caroline! We'll have a blast, and it'll chase your blues away."

Elijah saw her indecision. He knew her concern. "My brothers can be honorable when they choose," he told her. It could only help keep peace if more of Elena's friends were on good terms with them. The witch liked Rebekah. If Caroline became close to his brothers, it could only help them keep the peace.

Caroline decided to not think about consequences for once. She'd convince her mother to let her take a short trip. Surely, she could negotiate a week off. "Fine, I'll go," she agreed.

"Great!" Kol exclaimed.

"But first we have to convince my mother," she said. "And no compulsion!"

******* _Back in Los Angeles the Next Day*******_

Spike came into the room to see what all the commotion was about. He was taken aback to see Buffy kissing Angel. The kiss broke off. She put her hand on his cheek. "Are you all right, Angel? I'm sorry I've been out of contact. It's been kind of crazy rounding up all the new slayers," Buffy said.

"Well, a bloke saves the world for a girl and doesn't even get a hello," Spike said glumly.

Buffy turned and gave Spike a brilliant smile. He smiled and opened his arms as she threw her arms around him. He forgot how hard she could squeeze a man. "Easy, slayer. Me bones just recently finished healing. Blue is always slapping me around, not to mention we battled countless demon hordes a few months ago," Spike said.

Buffy pulled back. "I just can't believe you're alive! I mean I knew that you were. Andrew told me, but it's different seeing it with my own eyes," she said.

"Yeah, I can see how you rushed right to my side," Spike said sarcastically. "Guess you were too busy making it with that Immortal fella."

"The Immortal? What are you talking about?" Buffy asked in puzzlement.

"Spike and I went to see you in Europe, and Andrew told us you were in love with the Immortal. We saw you dancing with him at a club," Angel explained.

"Ah, that would be Isabella, my decoy double. It was Xander and Andrew's idea. I guess Andrew was messing with you. Sorry," Buffy said apologetically.

"That little twit! I'm going to string him up!" Spike said unhappily.

"I don't know anyone called The Immortal. I mean I know a few now that may be considered immortal to a greater degree than regular vamps. Klaus and his siblings but I don't think they're called that," Buffy said. She gave Damon a questioning look. He shrugged. "Oh, guys, this is Damon Salvatore. He's the reason I'm here."

Neither guy extended Damon a welcoming hand. He watched their interaction closely. Buffy was on awfully friendly terms with her exes.

"Should've known you wouldn't be here just to see me. Kissing Angel's stupid face like always," Spike grumbled. "Some things never change."

Buffy gave Angel a small smile. "Angel looks awful. What's been going on here? And who in the world is the missing Blue Man group?" she asked pointing to Illyria.

"What is this Blue Man group?" Illyria asked.

Angel waved his hand dismissively at her. "It's a long story. Basically, taking over Wolfram & Hart was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. At least in terms of keeping people I care about alive. It got Gunn and Wesley killed and Fred," Angel said casting Illyria a dark look.

"I am not responsible for Winifred being chosen as my vessel," Illyria replied haughtily.

When Buffy looked confused, Angel explained, "Wesley and Winifred were in love. Fred was our scientist or heart really."

"She's the one who figured out how to make me corporeal again. I was trapped in that necklace that closed the hellmouth. When I was released, I was a ghost. Fred never gave up on me," Spike shared. "But we had to give up on her. Illyria destroyed her soul and took over her body."

Buffy looked at the woman in question with a frown. "And she still lives?" she asked in surprise.

"It's complicated. Fred's memories still live inside of her. She's good in a battle," Angel said with a shrug.

"Is this woman your chosen queen?" Illyria asked. "If not, I will kill her for her insolence!" She took a step toward Buffy.

"Try it, Smurfette, and I'll knock out your teeth," Buffy warned.

"There will be no teeth knocking!" Angel said, stepping between the two women. "Illyria, Buffy is someone Spike and I care deeply for. We haven't seen her in a long time. Why don't you go take a walk and beat up some muggers or something?"

"Muggers? What kind of creatures are these?" Illyria asked curiously.

"You'll know them when you see them!" he said in exasperation.

"Listen for the screams of their victims!" Spike called out after her. He grinned. "She'll spend hours combing the city looking for muggers."

Damon snickered. This was an odd bunch, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. At least they weren't as uptight as the slayer.

"I'm sorry things have been so rough for you," Buffy said to them.

"Well, we've managed to survive somehow. Cordy gave me her visions before she died, so I know who needs our help. I had Gunn hide funds in an offshore account when we were running Wolfram & Hart, so we have a nice cushion," Angel shared.

"We killed twelve of their top clients, so they released many of their pet demons after us," Spike shared.

"I just can't believe you two are working together," Buffy said in amazement.

"We bonded over our mutual heartbreak," Spike said, flashing her a grin. "How's Red and Little Bit?"

"Willow and Dawn are fine. Actually more than fine. Willow bought us a house in a town in Virginia called Mystic Falls. She got a job teaching at the high school, and Dawn is going to finish her final year of school," Buffy shared.

"I can't believe Dawn is almost done with school," Angel remarked. He thought about the irony of Connor, his son, being only a year older than Dawn. The world was a wondrous place sometimes.

"Yeah, I know. She's all grown up. She's made some friends already. That's kind of why I'm here," Buffy said, glancing at Damon. "We've discovered a new kind of vampire breed there. Damon is one of them. They were created magically. They have a soul and have powers you don't."

Spike scoffed. "Doubtful. He's too pretty to be much use," Spike said.

Damon moved in a blur and stood behind him. Then he put Spike in a headlock before anyone could react.

"Yeah, his little speedy thing is why we're here. He moved too fast and killed one of Dawn's friends," Buffy said.

"You made your point, you bloody yanker!" Spike said crossly. He couldn't get Damon's arm away from his neck and realized the guy was a bit stronger than him.

Damon released him with a smirk. "I didn't kill one of Dawn's friends. I killed a werewolf turned into a hybrid that was controlled by Klaus the oldest and strongest of our kind," Damon clarified.

"What?" Angel asked in puzzlement.

"We better sit down for this," Buffy said.

A half hour later, she had caught the men up on her situation in Mystic Falls.

"So we'll grab Blue and put this bloke down," Spike said confidently.

"We can't kill him. They're all connected. Klaus and his siblings are the sires of all vampire lines-at least their kind. Their mother was a witch, and she created them with magic. That's why they are not demons. But they can turn off their emotions and behave like one. It's the reason I tracked down Damon. His brother Stefan gave himself over to Klaus to get a cure for a werewolf bite-it's deadly to them-Klaus ordered him to turn off his emotions. He's been on a killing frenzy. We've managed to put an end the body count-at least for now," Buffy explained.

"So this pansy just bends over and does what he's told, huh?" Spike said scornfully.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Damon said hotly.

"Compulsion is another power they have. Vampires can compel humans. Only the Originals can compel other vampires," Buffy said.

"Like that voodo shit Dracula liked to do?" Spike asked.

"Similar except much stronger," Buffy said.

"Can they do it to slayers?" Angel inquired.

"Not about to test that theory. Faith said Damon's brother tried to compel her, and it didn't work. But she was really angry at the time. There's a plant called vervain that is like holy water to them. If you ingest it or have it on you, it makes them unable to compel you," Buffy said.

"So how can we help you?" Angel asked. "You don't need us to go to Mystic Falls?"

"No, I had Xander fly in many of my slayers, so I think we can handle them. Willow is wickedly powerful these days," Buffy said.

Angel didn't want to think about how he had called Giles and tried desperately to get a hold of Willow when Fred was first affected. Her power might've saved Fred. However, there was no point in wasting energy on blame. It would make him very bitter.

"What I'd like is for you and Spike to teach Damon how to be a champion. From what I've been told, he has come a long ways from who he used to be when he returned to Mystic Falls, but he still doesn't value life. He only helps those Elena cares about when it doesn't go against her or his best interest. He needs to learn what real sacrifice means," Buffy explained.

"I know what sacrifice means," Damon said. He had not tried to interfere in his brother's relationship with Elena even though he loved her more all the time. He had always put her happiness and his brother's happiness above his own. "I fought in the Civil War and lived through many others."

"The town's council doesn't want him to return, but I'll deal with them. Once he shows that he can be concerned with someone other than Elena and his brother, he can come home," Buffy said, ignoring his outburst.

"You don't control me. I'm only here because it was easier than fighting all your slayers. You're not the boss of me, little girl," Damon said in annoyance.

Spike took exception to his tone and got up and glared down at him. "Watch your mouth, pretty boy!" Spike ordered.

Damon stood up until they were standing toe to toe. "Why don't you make me?" Damon taunted.

Spike found his smirk enraging and hit him. He responded with a blow that took Spike off his feet. He flew to the doorway.

Illyria had reappeared. She looked down at Spike's prone figure with a frown. Then she looked up at Damon. "You dare hit my pet without my permission?" she asked angrily.

Spike sat up and rubbed his jaw. "How many times do I have to tell you that I am _not_ your pet?" Spike asked her.

"You exist for my amusement, not this intruder's," she said stepping over his body and facing Damon. "I will kill him for his brazenness."

Buffy and Angel got to their feet. Neither had been too concerned at the inevitable fight between Damon and Spike. However, Angel knew Illyria was unpredictable at best. And Buffy knew instinctively that she was truly dangerous.

"They were just sparring, Illyria," Angel said quickly. "Like you and Spike do. Practice fighting. Spike hit him first."

"You cannot kill Damon!" Buffy said with a glare.

"I am Illyria, god-king of the Primordium, shaper of things! When the world met me it groaned, it shuttered, and you presume to tell me what I cannot do!" Illyria raged in real anger. She took a menacing step toward Buffy.

Angel stepped in front of Buffy and faced down Illyria. "Calm down, please! No one here is your enemy. We're all on the same side, so let's not kill anyone here. We only kill evil, remember? Remember how much fun you had slaying those demon hordes that were sent after us?" Angel reminded her.

"True. It was amusing. That ugly little one killed Wesley before I could get to him," she said, frowning at the unpleasant memory.

"Save it for the bad guys, okay?" Angel said.

"Damon is not evil. You can only kill evil creatures," Buffy added.

"Muggers are not always evil," Illyria told Angel. "I found one and was about to slay him when I recalled Fred getting mugged once. She had no hatred for the man. She felt pity and gave him her wallet."

Angel gave a small smile as he pictured Fred doing just that. "I'm glad you didn't kill any muggers. We didn't really want you to. It was just a wild goose chase meant to get you out of the office while I visited with Buffy," Angel painstakingly explained.

Illyria gave a haughty sniff. "If you wanted me to leave, you just had to ask," she said. Then she turned and left.

Spike got to his feet with a laugh. "Now why didn't we think of that?" he wondered.

"Is she always like that?" Buffy wondered.

"You don't know the half of it. Wesley was much better at dealing with her. She stays with us because the world has changed so much. She doesn't have a place in it anymore," Angel said.

"So she's not full of crap?" Damon asked, intensely curious about the creature or woman. He wasn't yet sure what she was.

"She's one of the Old Ones. An ancient demon. Millions of years old," Angel said.

"Like Glory?" Buffy asked Spike.

"Glory was a hell god. A baby in comparison to what Illyria was. Her human form couldn't contain all her powers, however. She used to time jump and slow down time, but it was too much power for Fred's body. It was going to kill her and all of us. Make her explode like a supernova," Angel explained. "We had to take some of her power. She used to be damn well indestructible. Now she is a step above a slayer in power and has ancient knowledge of fighting skills and tactics. She is tireless and hates losing more than anyone I've ever seen."

"It makes her crazy," Spike said snickering. "But she is highly motivated to fight what goes bump in the night."

Buffy realized that time was getting away from her. It was time to give them what she brought. "I have something for you guys," Buffy said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out two small boxes. "I don't know if you noticed or not, but it's daylight and Damon walked through the front door."

"They get sunlight, too?" Spike said petulantly.

"And can see our face in the mirror," Damon added, smirking.

"No, they can't walk in the sun," Buffy said. She glared at Damon. He laughed and sat down in a chair in the corner. "There are a few that can because they know a Bennett witch. A spell is attached to a piece of jewelry that you can never take off in the sun." She handed Spike a box.

He opened it and pulled out a small ying-yang pendant on a black cord. "A necklace?" he asked in surprise.

"I thought that was something you might actually not mind wearing for the rest of your life," Buffy said with a smile.

Spike returned her smile, oddly touched. She had never given him a gift before. He put it on. Then he waved his hand in front of a ray of sunlight peeking through the covered window. When his hand didn't smoke, he grinned. He reached down and pulled Buffy to her feet. He planted a loud kiss on her lips and then ran outside to dance in the sunlight. Damon got up to follow him, curious to see how the fool behaved.

Buffy gave Angel his box. When he opened it, she quickly explained, "I thought bespelling the ring you gave me was a good idea. I hope it's okay. I loved that you gave it to me. But our lives are never going to be connected the way they once were. The fates were against us from the beginning," she said with a sad smile.

Angel knew she was right. Even if he got his curse lifted somehow, his mission wasn't the same as Buffy's. He didn't think he could ever fit in her life again. He picked up the ring. It fit tightly on his left pinky. "I don't think I'll have to worry about it falling off," he said dryly.

"If you want, you can wear it on a chain around your neck," Buffy said. "I hope you'll think of me when you walk in the sunlight."

Angel got up and held out his hand. "Walk with me?" he asked.

Buffy smiled and took his hand. Angel hesitated a moment at the front door. Then he stepped in the sunlight, something he hadn't done since the brief time he wore the Gem of Amarra and the two days he had been human. Both times were because of Buffy. It seemed she was always bringing him into the light in some way or another. They walked down the few steps, oblivious to Damon whom they passed on the sidewalk. He was watching Spike do cartwheels down the street. He didn't know what to think of Buffy's ex. He disliked him at first, but now was finding him amusing. He eyed Buffy as she and Angel walked hand in hand down the street, wrapped up in each other. Damon wasn't happy to find Buffy still so connected to the too serious vampire. Alaric deserved someone who would love only him. Damon decided he was going to have to have a little chat with her before she left.

As for Buffy, she was wrapped in memories. Memories of another time that she and Angel had walked together. Sunnydale had had a freak snowstorm and the sun had never quite risen. It was one of their last moments as a couple. They had walked hand in hand around town for hours. She looked at Angel, who looked back down at her, the heaviness finally gone from his eyes.

"I remember," he said, knowing what she was thinking. He squeezed her hand. Being with her was always bittersweet. She was forever the dream that was just out of reach. However, the knowledge of that didn't really hurt much anymore.

"I'll never forget, you know," she said softly.

He stopped and looked at her. "Neither will I. I'll love you forever. Everything I am now is because of you. I hope you know that," he told her.

Buffy reached out and took his other hand. "I know without me you would've found a way to be the man you are now. I just gave you a push," she said. She glanced down at their connecting hands a moment before meeting his gaze again. "I've met someone recently, Angel. It's new and too soon to tell if it's going to be something, but I want you to know that no part of me will ever forget you. You will always matter to me."

He smiled. "I know," he said. And he did know. The love he felt for her was always inside of him like a warm glow. It gave him strength. She would never be completely gone from him. "You're a part of me."

She smiled, glad that he felt the way she did. "I'm sorry I let three years go by before coming to see you," she said.

"Well, I had to go down a path with Wolfram & Hart that was not what you would've done, but it got me to the same place," Angel said.

Spike called out from the end of the block. "The beach! We so gotta go to the beach!"

Buffy let go of Angel's hands and cupped her mouth. "Only if you agree to my demands!" she hollered.

"Do you really need us to take in your friend?"Angel asked.

"I wouldn't call him that exactly, but yes," Buffy said. "This girl he loves is barely eighteen and has lost everyone. Her adoptive parents, her real parents, her aunt Jenna. Now her friend Tyler is dead. Stephen, Damon's brother and the man she loves, slept with Faith and has flipped his switch."

"Love triangle, huh? Two brothers in love with the same girl. That won't end well," Angel observed.

"I'm not so sure. Damon hasn't seduced Elena, and the bond between him and his brother is very strong," Buffy said. "Recently Klaus pulled a sadistic move and held Elena and Damon both hostage and forced Stefan to pick which would live. Even without his humanity on, he couldn't risk Damon. I'm confident we can get him back to normal in time. He's becoming obsessed with Faith."

Angel grinned. "Faith? Really? I'd love to see that!" Angel said, glad to hear that Faith was having someone pursue her. He didn't think she ever saw her own worth.

Spike made it to their side. "What are your demands? 'Cause I'll kiss any frog or kill any bloke in order to pay you back for this gift," he said, kissing his necklace.

"You saved all of us, Spike. I wish you had come to see me when you first became human. You know you're always welcome to join us, right? You will always be a member of the Scoobie Gang," Buffy told him, smiling warmly at him. She reached out and took his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

"You and I had some bloody good adventures. We had our time, but Angel here has managed to lose even Harmony. He needs me," Spike said, grinning at him knowingly.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that. I give you purpose. Not the other way around," Angel said.

The two vampires bickered all the way back to Angel's car. Watching them, Buffy felt like something inside her finally unclenched. The guilt and sorrow she'd been carrying around for so long over both men had no more reason to hang on. They were okay. More than okay. They still loved her but were not destroyed by that love. Now she knew the three of them could finally be free.

**** _*Chapter End*****_

_Remember, this isn't really a Buffy/Angel crossover, so I had to put Buffy's triangle with both Spike and Angel to rest. I hope it worked well enough! Sorry if any of my non-Angel watchers were lost on some minor reference, but it really couldn't be helped. Illyria is a creation of Joss Whedon from Season 5 of Angel._


	26. First Days

_******The Next Day in L.A.*******_

Damon woke up the next morning to sounds of fighting. The noise was downstairs in the basement, so he went down to see what was going on. He saw Spike calling out words of encouragement, standing next to Angel. Damon walked toward them to see what they were looking at. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Buffy engaged in battle with Illyria.

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"We wanted to see if Buffy here could take Blue," Spike said with a grin. "They are magnificent!"

Damon looked and had to agree. The two women were engaged in a fight like Damon had never witnessed. It was mesmerizing. They both obviously had advanced knowledge of various fighting skills because they met each other blow for blow. It was like a deadly dance. They each held a long fighting stick. The fighting was intense and unrelenting. When Illyria finally broke Buffy's weapon, she threw hers down, and they proceeded to hand to hand combat. Damon didn't think it was possible for the show to improve, but it did. Each woman met the other, always anticipating where the hit would come from. It was the finest display of combat that Damon had ever seen.

"They are amazing!" he said in awe.

"It's rare that anyone can keep up with Illyria," Angel said. "They are well matched in skill like I predicted." When Illyria's fist finally managed to connect with Buffy's face, he added, "Of course, Illyria is a bit stronger."

Since Buffy went flying across the room on impact, Damon had to agree. "Wow! I don't think I want to be pissing of that particular girl!" Damon exclaimed.

Buffy got to her feet and faced Illyria, the bout obviously over. "That was fun!" she said in delight.

"Yes, you are much better at taking a beating than my pet," Illyria said, gesturing to Spike.

Damon snickered. "Guess every man needs someone to love them," Damon observed.

Spike flipped him off.

"I wouldn't call that a beating," Buffy said dryly. "I barely broke a sweat."

Damon laughed at her bravado. The girl was amusing when not focused on berating him.

"The blue girl is quite impressive," Damon said.

Illyria's cold eyes narrowed on him, finding offense in his words. She stepped toward him. "You dare call me _girl_? You presume entirely too much, vampire!" she fumed. She stopped directly in front of him.

Damon held up his hands in surrender. "Relax, lady! No offense meant!" he said casually.

"No offense? Relax, lady?" Illyria repeated, her eyes flashing fire. She reached out and put her hand around his neck and lifted him off the ground. "I was power and the ecstasy of death! I was god to a god, and you think you can speak so casually to me?"

"Put him down!" Buffy ordered.

"I don't take orders from you, slayer! You reek of humanity!" Illyria said with a disapproving sniff. She glared at Damon. "He must learn his place." She threw Damon across the room. Then she walked away.

"It's so nice to see her throw someone else around for a change!" Spike exclaimed happily.

Buffy laughed and then looked at the time. "Well, this is fun, but I need to go if I'm going to catch my plane," she said.

Spike and Angel both looked disappointed. "So soon? I didn't even get to tell you about the time Angel got turned into a wee little puppet man!" Spike said, flashing Angel a smirk.

"Yeah, well, she's got important people to kill, Spike. Get a life!" Angel ordered, obviously not wanting that particular tale repeated.

"I do have one. Yours!" Spike ribbed.

Buffy had stayed up with her two exes all night telling tales and catching up. It had been one of the best nights she'd had in a long time. She couldn't believe how things had changed. It seemed Spike and Angel had forged a true bond. The kind only combined grief and near death experiences could forge. It brought Buffy comfort to know that the two men had each other. They had constantly made her laugh with their bickering.

"We'll take you to the airport," Angel offered.

"Actually, sad airport goodbyes are a real downer," Buffy said. "I'd rather Damon take me. I need to talk to him anyway."

Damon had a few things he wanted to say to her, too. "Works for me. I'll call us a cab," he said. He went upstairs to get a better phone signal.

Both Angel and Spike looked sad. "You sure we can't come give you a hand?" Angel asked. "Illyria is great in a battle."

"Klaus and his siblings require more finesse than she has," Buffy said. "I don't want to kill any of them unless I have to. We're not sure which one started Caroline and Damon's line."

"Damon sired Caroline?" Spike asked. Buffy had spent some time filling them him on who's-who of her new town, but there was a lot of other things for them to talk about besides Mystic Falls.

"Not exactly. She was in a bad accident, and Damon gave her his blood to heal her. Then Katherine, the original doppelganger and sire of Damon and Stefan, killed her when she had blood in her system," Buffy said.

"And you don't have any idea who sired Katherine?" Angel asked.

"No. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet. From what I hear, she's a bit like Angelus-manipulative, callous, and doesn't care who she hurts," Buffy said.

"Well, I guess we'll see you next time," Angel said.

Buffy stepped forward and gave him a hug. She looked up and put a hand on his cheek. "Don't let the battles get you down, Angel. One day it will all be worth it. I promise," she said. She turned to Spike, feeling emotional all of sudden. "I don't want to say goodbye to you again."

"Then don't," Spike said. He pulled her in for a tight hug.

Damon came down the stairs to tell her the cab was on its way. He stopped when he saw the slayer embracing yet another one of her exes. Spike kissed her on the lips and stepped back.

"Sorry to break up the touching goodbyes, but the cab will be here soon," Damon said sourly. Then he turned and went upstairs.

"What's his deal?" Spike said. "Does he fancy you, too?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. His best friend does," she shared.

"Aw. I see," Angel said getting the picture.

Spike frowned in displeasure. He hated to picture Buffy with any guy that wasn't him. "So who's this bloke?" he asked.

"Alaric Saltzman. He's a history teacher and vampire hunter," Buffy said.

"A hunter?" Angel asked with interest.

"Long story. He's a good man," Buffy said.

"Cab's here!" Damon called down.

"Time's up. I gotta go grab my stuff. I'll call you when I land," she said. She kissed them both on the cheek and walked upstairs.

The two men watched her leave. "It's good that she's moving on," Angel said graciously.

"Bugger me! It blows and you know it," Spike said sourly.

"Look on the bright side," Angel said, slapping him on the back. "At least you don't have to watch her be with me."

Spike grinned at him. "That's true," he said brightening.

A short time later, Damon and Buffy were in a cab on the way to the airport. "So you seemed awfully chummy with your exes," Damon observed, his disapproval obvious.

Buffy glanced at him. "We have a complicated history," she said.

"Do tell," Damon said. When Buffy didn't say anything, he added, "Seriously, tell me. I don't want you stringing Rick along when you're still in love with your exes."

Buffy sighed in resignation. "I'm not sure I can make you understand since you weren't there and don't really know me. Not to mention it's deeply personal," she said.

"I'm not planning on taking out an ad in _Us Weekly_ ," Damon said dryly.

"I met Angel when I was sixteen. He was there when I was first getting used to being a slayer. We fought side by side. We fell in love. Neither of us knew about his gypsy curse. After my seventeenth birthday, we made love for the first time. We didn't know that one moment of true happiness would rip his soul away," Buffy said.

Damon winced, imagining the scene. "Ouch," he said.

"You don't know the half of it. I was completely in love and woke up to discover my lover completely changed. All traces of the man I loved were gone. Angelus looks like Angel and has all Angel's memories, but he is his opposite in every way," Buffy said, remembering. "He spent months tormenting me and my friends. He eventually killed Giles' girlfriend, put Willow in the hospital, and broke Xander's arm."

"Sounds like a prince," Damon said dryly.

"It took me too long to come to terms with the fact that the man I love was gone. My friends almost died, and Angelus opened a hell dimension before I knew it, I had to kill him," Buffy shared.

Damon was surprised at that revelation. "What?" he asked.

"His blood was the only thing that would close it because it was his blood that opened it," Buffy said. "We were engaged in a sword fight when suddenly he was himself. I didn't know Willow was working the spell to restore his soul. But it was too late. I had to kill him to close the hell dimension."

"Seriously? How is he here now?" Damon asked.

"I couldn't really explain it. I kissed him. Told him I loved him and then drove the sword in him, and then he was sucked into the hell dimension as it closed. A few months later, he was kicked back to earth," Buffy said. She looked up at Damon. "I loved Angel more than I had ever loved anything. But I killed him. I did so because I had to. So maybe you can imagine how there is still so much between us. He stayed in Sunnydale a few months after that, but it was too hard. We knew we could never be together."

"Star-crossed lovers," Damon said sourly.

"Maybe. Except we've both moved on. I will always love him, but I'm not in love with him anymore," Buffy said.

They arrived at the airport. Damon thought about her story while he paid the cab driver. He didn't know how to feel about it. It was a lot for Alaric to compete with.

"Looks like my flight is arriving a half hour late," Buffy said as she read the board.

"Good. It gives you time to explain about Spike. How does he fit?" Damon asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're like a dog with a bone," she said. "Can't you just trust that I'm not some femme fatal out to screw over Alaric?"

"I'd like to believe that," Damon said grudgingly.

"Spike and I were much different than Angel and I," she said. "He was obsessed with me back when he was a soulless demon. Claimed to love me. I beat him up a lot. He thought it was foreplay."

Damon snickered. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"When I died and my well meaning friends brought me back, I was a bit messed up," Buffy shared.

"I can imagine," Damon said dryly.

"They thought they were saving me from a hell dimension, but instead, they pulled me out of heaven. It took me a long time to get my head on straight. I was numb. Spike allowed me to feel," she said quietly. "It got really ugly. He was a soulless vampire, and I hated myself for being with him. He knew it and it poisoned him. He hurt me." She didn't like thinking about Spike's attempt to rape her. Their relationship was so violent and twisted that she wasn't even sure rape was his intention. However, she knew that one act was what kept her from ever truly trusting him enough to love him the way he loved her.

Damon could tell thinking about Spike wasn't easy for her, and he felt guilty for pushing her. "It's okay. You don't have to explain," he said.

"It's good that you know who both men used to be. Unlike you, they can't just flip a switch. They have a demon inside of them. Now they both have a soul, a conscience. They work hard to keep their demon at bay. They're good men. Spike was so horrified by what he tried to do to me that he went and fought for his soul. Then he gave his life closing the hellmouth. Like Angel, God or The Powers That Be, gave him another chance at redemption," Buffy said. "You could learn a lot from both men. They're good men, and they'll always be important to me. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Rick's been hurt enough. His wife left him to become a vampire. Then Jenna was turned into one and was sacrificed by Klaus. He deserves to be happy," Damon said.

"You don't think I could make him happy?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. Do you think you could?" Damon asked.

"Well, I don't want to make him unhappy. It's been awhile since I've even looked twice at a guy. He's special. I don't plan on hurting him," Buffy said.

"Are you sure you're free to be involved with him?" Damon asked.

"I told you. Angel and Spike are important to me, but I'm never going to be with them like that again. They know that. I have to move on, and so do they," Buffy said.

"I hope that's true," Damon said.

"Instead of worrying about my love life, you need to focus on yourself," Buffy said.

"I'll play nice with your lovers, but don't expect me to stay here indefinitely," Damon said sourly.

"You may be surprised. Not having to focus on Elena and your brother for a change will be good for you," Buffy said. "I gotta get through security. I'll be in touch. Play nice. Don't get yourself killed. Elena will never forgive me."

She waved and walked away. Damon watched her go. He wasn't sure what to think of her romantic woes. Then he realized she had as much tragedy as Rick. Maybe they'd be well matched after all.

**** _**Mystic Falls*_ *****

Willow was both excited and nervous about her first day of school. The school had a computer lab with fairly new computers, so she was glad about that. However, her first period was her planning period. She was anxious to get the first day over with, and the extended wait was nerve racking.

"Hey, Will," Dawn said from the doorway. Elena, Bonnie, and Matt were with her. "We wanted to wish you luck on your first day."

"Come on in," Willow said happy to see them. "Did you get your schedule?"

"Yep. They actually have study periods in this school for seniors. Since I have most of my required classes already done, I can leave campus last period and go to work at two. Isn't that cool?" Dawn asked.

"Me, too," Matt added.

"So since I'm the only computer teacher, do you all have me?" Willow asked.

"I don't have computers," Elena said.

"Most of us took computers our freshman and sophomore years," Matt explained.

"I have you for advanced computers after lunch," Dawn said.

"So do we have to like call you Ms. Rosenburg?" Bonnie asked, grinning.

"Of course!" Willow said with a twinkle in her eye. "Around other teachers and students that aren't you!" She noticed someone was missing. "Where's Caroline?"

"She's not starting until next week," Bonnie said.

"Why is that?" Willow asked puzzled.

Bonnie and Elena exchanged looks. "She decided to take a trip to New York City."

"Really? Isn't that kind of sudden?" Willow asked.

"She went with Kol," Bonnie said with a grimace.

"What?" Willow asked in alarm.

"She'll be okay," a voice from the doorway said. They all looked to see Rebekah.

Willow smiled. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you because I'm not. I mean not unhappy. To see you, I mean."

Dawn snickered at her rambling.

"I've never been to school, and I thought it'd be fun," Rebekah said shyly.

"Loads," Matt said sarcastically. The first bell rang. "I gotta go. See you ladies later."

"Why is Caroline in New York with your brother?" Willow asked Rebekah.

"Not just Kol. They're meeting up with Niklaus," she shared.

Elena looked more than alarmed. "What? Is she insane?" Elena asked.

"My brothers won't hurt her," Rebekah assured them.

"Well, forgive me if I don't trust my aunt's murderer," Elena said snidely. She turned to leave. "Are you coming, Bonnie?" Bonnie waved and left with her.

Dawn felt abandoned by her new friends. She hated that Caroline wasn't here.

"Caroline is upset still about Tyler's death. She is angry at the slayers and you," Rebekah said.

"Me?" Willow said in surprise.

"She knows how powerful you are. She doesn't believe you couldn't have stopped Damon if you'd really wanted to," Rebekah said.

"I could've if I had realized what he was going to do," Willow admitted. "He moved so quickly. I didn't have time to react."

The second bell rang. "You girls better head to class. You don't want to be late for your first day," Willow said.

"Well, we will be. Neither of us know where our classes are and the people who we know that know have abandoned us," Dawn said sourly. She looked at Rebekah. "Let's go."

Rebekah waved goodbye and followed Dawn out.

Willow hoped Rebekah was right. She didn't know how safe the young vampire was with the two Original brothers. However, she was on her own. There wasn't anything Willow could do to help her if she needed help. Willow hoped Caroline knew what she was doing.

****** _New York City******_

Caroline had trouble believing she was in New York City. Kol had booked a first class flight late last night. She had never flown first class before and decided she could get used to it. A limo picked them up and drove them to the Ritz-Carlton where Klaus had rooms reserved for them. He wasn't yet there, but Kol told her he'd been arriving today.

She slept soundly and woke up starving. She thought about calling room service but didn't feel comfortable doing so. Kol's room was connected to hers. They were staying in a suite that was almost like a private apartment. The most luxurious apartment Caroline had ever seen. He came in and saw her drinking from a blood bag and grimaced. "None of that, sweetheart. Only first class for you," he said. He went back to his room and returned with a maid. She was obviously under compulsion. He led the woman to Caroline's side. "Here. Drink." He held up her arm.

"I couldn't! I might kill her!" Caroline said in alarm. "Besides it's not right to treat people like blood bags."

"But, darling, that's what they are. They have blood. We need it to survive. You don't have to kill them when you feed. Not unless you want to. We're not human anymore. Human laws don't apply to us," Kol said.

Caroline debated with herself. It had been a long time since she'd tasted fresh blood from the vein. Fear of losing control held her back.

"I'll stop you if it looks like you're taking too much if that'll help," Kol offered.

"You promise?" Caroline asked hesitatingly. He nodded. She took the girl's arm and bit gently into her wrist. The fresh blood poured out like a fountain. She bit down harder, sucking it down. It tasted heavenly. It had been too long. When the girl whimpered, Caroline froze and looked up at her. Alarmed that she was hurting her too much, she let go. She ripped a nearby table cloth and wrapped it around the woman.

"Relax. She's fine. I will pay her handsomely for her extra service," Kol said with a smirk.

"I don't think this is in her job description," Caroline said.

"I asked the concierge to send someone up that could help us with incidentals. This is who he sent," Kol said smugly.

Caroline rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks, I guess," she said. "But I would like real food, too."

"They have a wonderful Club Lounge downstairs that will have anything you could possibly want," Kol said.

"Okay. That sounds great. Take your new pet out of here, and I'll jump in the shower. Come back in forty-five minutes," Caroline ordered.

"Wear comfortable shoes. We'll do some sightseeing since this is your first time in the Big Apple. Lots to see," Kol said as he grabbed the maid's arm and led her out.

Caroline was very excited. She grabbed her stuff and headed into the bathroom. A short time later, she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, humming to herself. She was about to drop the towel when she noticed somebody on her bed.

"Klaus!" she exclaimed in shock as she saw him lounge on her bed. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing on my bed?"

"Hello, love!" he said, flashing his dimples at her.

Suddenly, Caroline was aware of how very naked she was under the towel. How was she going to order the oldest, deadliest vampire alive to remove himself from her room? She didn't want to acknowledge the small voice inside of her that whispered maybe that wasn't what she really wanted to do anyway.

****** _More to Come******_

_I hope you're still enjoying my tall tale! For Illyria, I did use some of her actual words from the show. For my non-Angel watchers- "Smile Time" from season 5, episode 14, is the most hilarious Angel episode ever. Angel does get turned into a puppet. Spike's line "You're a wee little puppet man!" never fails to make me laugh. Please review and let me know you're still reading and enjoying! Thanks!_


	27. Adjusting

_*****Where We Left Off******_

Caroline looked down at Klaus relaxing so easily, so casually on her bed. Even smiling with real enjoyment, he radiated power. Or maybe it was just the way she perceived him. She knew he was basically indestructible. Whatever the case, for one of the first times since she'd become a vampire, she felt truly vulnerable. There she was just standing there in only a towel, staring mutely at him. His eyes raked over her body. Her heart raced at his perusal. He gave her a knowing smirk.

He knew how his presence effected her. He could hear her heart beating too quickly. The smirk served to erase her insecurities. Embarrassment tinged with righteous indignation bubbled up inside of her.

"Who do you think you are? I didn't come on this trip to be accosted in my room! If that was your plan, I'll get dressed and take the next flight back home!" Caroline said, throwing him an angry glare.

Klaus sat up on the bed, putting his feet to the floor. His smirk turned into a genuine smile. Damn him! The sight of that dimple did things to her. She called up the memory of every transgression he'd ever done to her and her friends. Arming herself, she gave him an expectant look. "Well?" she demanded.

He slowly got to his feet and stepped closer to her. His smile left as he stared at her intently. He honestly wasn't sure what to make of the young vampire. She was passionate, beautiful, and fearless. It'd been too long since anyone but his family faced him down the way she did.

"On what little honor I still possess, I swear to you that no harm will befall you on my account. I honestly never considered you appearing undressed. Nor do I have any plans to accost you. I simply wanted to greet you and see if you had all that you needed," Klaus said sincerely.

Caroline frowned, not sure now how to respond. "Well, okay, then. I'm good. I'm going to get dressed and meet Kol for breakfast," she said. He nodded and turned to leave. She felt compelled to call out, "You can join us if you want."

He turned around and flashed a pleased grin at her. "It would be my pleasure," he said.

Caroline sat down on her bed and watched him leave, her knees feeling weak after their simple encounter. What had she gotten herself into?

****** _Back In Mystic Falls******_

Willow's first day of class had been going pretty well. Luckily, this school did not have chalkboards, so she didn't have to fumble around with that particular mess. Instead, a simple white board and erasable markers were supplied for her.

She had a lunch period after her fourth class, so she went to check out the cafeteria. The other teachers had been really nice to her. It was amusing to her how being in a school again made her feel so much like a teenager. However, the way other teachers acted toward her reminded her once again she was all grown up. She grabbed a tray and looked over the selections of food. Surprisingly, there were a lot more appetizing choices than she ever remembered from her Sunnydale days. After she picked some things out, she was scanning the room looking for a spot to sit when she spotted Rebekah. The beautiful vampire was sitting all by herself. That amazed Willow because in her day the more beautiful you were, the more friends you had. Buffy had chosen to hang out with Xander and Willow, thus alienating herself from the pretty people at their high school. Rebekah also had a sexy accent. What was wrong with these kids? Willow made a step to go toward her when one of the teachers waved her over to their table. Feeling torn, Willow stood there a moment. Then she saw Dawn sit down with Rebekah, and she relaxed. The two new girls could keep each other company. Problem solved.

Dawn was not overly happy about her first day. Not only had her new friends abandoned her after first period, but she had class with Elena fourth period. The girl hadn't even waited for her after class. Now she was looking for a spot in the cafeteria and saw Matt, Bonnie, and Elena sitting at a table together while Rebekah sat all alone at a nearby table. Dawn knew Rebekah was deadly and may very well end up being Buffy's enemy in the battle with Klaus. However, she looked so forlorn and lonely that Dawn's natural compassion had her walking toward the girl. Willow was obviously into her, so Dawn decided that she'd rather be friends with someone who genuinely wanted her friendship than tag along as a third wheel with Bonnie and Elena.

Rebekah smiled gratefully at Dawn when she sat down. "Thank you! I didn't realize how humiliating high school could be!" she exclaimed with a shudder.

"No one tried to befriend you?" Dawn asked.

"People are friendly enough. But it seems everyone has their own little clique," Rebekah said sadly. "I guess I could compel someone, but that would be really pathetic."

Dawn laughed. "Yes, it would. I don't think that's necessary. You're gorgeous. They'll come around," she assured the vampire. "Humans are pretty shallow."

"So are vampires," Rebekah said with a smile.

"Yeah, all Spike every lived for was beer, chicken wings, poker, and the soap _Passions_ ," Dawn said.

"What's _Passions_?" Rebekah asked.

"It's this ridiculous soap opera that used to come on. They had a talking doll that became a real boy. Then he died and was an angel. Then they had a monkey. It was crazy! But Spike loved it. A soap is a romantic show on daytime TV," Dawn explained, realizing that may have been more important to explain.

Rebekah looked confused. "And this Spike was a vampire that liked it? Sounds strange," she observed.

"Spike was strange," Dawn said. Then she shared some of her favorite Spike tales.

A few feet away, Matt looked over and noticed Dawn sitting with Rebekah. He frowned and turned to Bonnie and Elena. "What's going on?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"Why isn't Dawn sitting with us?" Matt asked.

"I don't know. Where is she?" Elena asked. She looked around and saw her sitting with Klaus's sister. "Guess she made her choice."

"Didn't you have her in your last class?" Bonnie asked Elena.

"Yes," Elena said.

"Didn't you ask her to have lunch with us?" Matt asked.

Elena blanched and looked guilty. "To be honest, I didn't say much to her. I've been distracted all day," Elena said. She didn't want to admit that she was distracted because Damon hadn't called her. She hadn't seen him since the meeting with the council. It had been a long time since she'd gone so long without seeing or talking to him. Elena found herself confused by how much she was bothered by his silence. Then she started worrying that maybe something was wrong. Did Buffy decide to lock him up like she threatened? Or was he banished? However, Elena couldn't fathom he would leave without telling her. They had been through too much together.

"I had her in my Italian class second period. She told me that she was late to first period because you both ran off and left her. She had trouble finding her first class," Matt said in obvious disapproval.

Bonnie and Elena exchanged looks. "We did do that, didn't we?" Bonnie said regretfully. "Elena was upset over Klaus and Caroline running off. Rebekah was taking up for her brother."

"She thinks we need to believe Klaus won't hurt Caroline. He killed Jenna. I'm not just going to forget that," Elena said with a frown.

"Damon killed Tyler, but I bet you'll forget that easily enough," Matt said sourly. Then he got up and took his tray over to Dawn and Rebekah's table.

"Matt's right. Damon should be punished for what he did to Tyler. Or what he did to Vicki," Bonnie said, her disgust obvious.

"It was Stefan that killed Vicki, not Damon," Elena reminded her.

"But who turned her? A girl with self-control issues, not to mention drugs problems would never be able to control herself as a vampire. Damon didn't even think about it. He just does whatever he wants. Just like he did with Tyler. He didn't stop to consider that we might have been able to get through to Tyler somehow. He just killed him," Bonnie said, her disgust obvious.

"He did that because of me. So really it's my fault. Just like it's my fault my aunt is dead. It's my fault my uncle is dead. And if we're being honest, it's my fault my parents died that day on the bridge. I'm the common denominator. Not Damon," Elena said with more than a little self-pity.

"Now you're just feeling sorry for yourself. Those things happened because of choices. You didn't take anyone's life or decide to kill anyone. That's what Damon does. You can't blame Rebekah for what her brother's done anymore than you can blame Stefan for Damon's actions or his on Damon," Bonnie said. "Rebekah may be like her brother. Or she could be like Elijah. We don't know. But I do know that Willow really likes her."

"What's Buffy going to do to Damon? Do you know? He hasn't called me," Elena admitted.

"I haven't talked to Willow except for this morning, so I don't know anymore than you do. You can ask her," Bonnie said. She got up. "Come on. Let's go join our friends."

Elena sighed. She knew she was being a brat. Nodding, she got up from her chair.

The two girls went over and joined their friends.

****** _A few hours later*****_

Rebekah was feeling much better by the end of the school day. She headed into her last class with a smile on her face. Willow's beginning computer class was her last class of the day.

Her feelings for the witch were a jumbled mess. Because of her mother, Rebekah was very comfortable with witchcraft. It actually brought her some comfort to be around someone that did things that were so familiar to her. In this new millennium, there were so many things that weren't. The technology being one of them.

"Rebekah, I'm glad you decided to learn about one of my favorite things," Willow said smiling at her as she sat down at a computer.

"The technology is so confusing to me. I thought this may help," Rebekah admitted. "How has your first day been?"

"Great!" Willow enthused. "How about yours?"

"Okay. It got better at lunch," Rebekah said. She had been both surprised and pleased when Dawn's friends decided to sit with her and Dawn at lunch. Elena had apologized to Dawn for her distance, and Dawn had seemed happy enough. Rebekah didn't quite understand these humans. Elena had more than enough reasons to hate Rebekah on sight, yet the girl didn't seem to have real malice toward her. Dawn should be her enemy. After all, her brother Klaus was hell bent on finding ways to torment both the witch and the slayers. Rebekah knew when lines were drawn it would be impossible for her to go against her closest brother. No matter what he'd done to her, he was her family. Always and forever.

The bell rang, so Willow started class. After she got the students started on a simple assignment, she walked around to observe and help when needed. It felt good to be back in a classroom. Her time at Sunnydale had been harrowing, but she had loved almost every minute of it. She loved learning. When Ms. Calendar had died, Willow discovered that teaching was like the tutoring she'd always done. Except then she wasn't the nerd who everyone ignored. Instead, they had all looked to her for the answers. It had been empowering.

She leaned down to help Rebekah with the simple program. As she breathe in the vampire's intoxicating and way too appealing scent, Willow suddenly realized that it may not be such a good thing having Rebekah as her student.

Rebekah's superior vamp senses allowed her to discern the change in Willow's heartbeat as she leaned over to show her the correct key on the keyboard. Rebekah knew that the world had changed much in the decades she'd been boxed. Love for the same sex wasn't really frowned upon by most of the world. Willow was so open and so comfortable with herself-both her witch powers and her sexuality. Rebekah had never been so confident about anything, especially not her sexuality. However, she didn't know how to feel about the witch's obvious attraction toward her. A part of her was deeply flattered by the attention. It'd been too long since anyone had made her feel so special. Stefan Salvatore had been her last lover. Rebekah had been nuts about him. Now, however, she knew it had not been returned. Her entire life, none of her romantic liaisons with men had ever been successful. In the end, she'd always been left hurt and disappointed.

As Willow started to move away, Rebekah glanced up at her. The intelligence and power in the redhead's gaze struck Rebekah. She was extraordinary. When she smiled at Rebekah before she turned away, Rebekah felt a flutter inside of her. Then she realized, she wasn't repulsed by Willow's attraction for her. Instead, the thought of the woman's obvious admiration created a warm glow inside of her.

****** _The Salvatores'******_

After school was over for the day, Elena tried calling Caroline, but it went straight to voicemail. She left her yet another message. Then she headed over to the Salvatores. Going through another day not knowing what was going on was not productive. Elena decided she needed to see Damon and Stefan and find out what was going to happen. The council and the mayor were out for some type of justice. She hoped Damon would not make things worse by being difficult. It never occurred to her that justice might've been served without her.

She let herself into the house. It was crawling with women. Slayers of different ethnicities and sizes were coming and going. A few waved at her. She looked around and saw Faith talking to one of them.

"Where's Stefan and Damon?" Elena asked Faith.

"Stefan's up in his room. Why don't we go up there? It'll be quieter," Faith suggested.

Elena smiled and followed her up the stairs. "I bet Damon is going nuts with his house being invaded. He's not always gracious about that kind of thing," Elena said.

"Ah, didn't anyone tell you? Damon's not here," Faith said as they arrived in front of Stefan's room. She pushed it open without knocking.

Stefan was reading a book and looked up. "Ladies," he said in acknowledgment.

"Stefan, what's going on? Where's Damon?" Elena asked in alarm.

Stefan closed the book and turned toward her. "He's in Los Angeles. Buffy insisted he get out of Mystic Falls to make the council happy," Stefan said.

"She's also hoping he'll learn some things from Angel and Spike," Faith added with a smirk.

"What? He just left? Why didn't he call me? I can't believe he left without saying goodbye!" Elena exclaimed, obviously upset at the news.

Stefan gave her a cold stare. "Why put himself through the torment? You're never going to love him the way he loves you. We both know that. The guy needs to be free of you, Elena. Why don't you let him? If you care about him at all, you will leave him in peace," Stefan said with derision.

Elena looked like he hit her. "Why would you say that to me? You know I care about him!" Elena insisted.

"Not enough, though," Stefan said. He got to his feet. "You enjoy toying with both of us. One good thing about not feeling is I can see things more clearly now. You destroy everyone who loves you. Your parents. Your aunt Jenna. Jonathan. They're all dead because of you. Caroline's a vampire. Tyler was turned into a hybrid with your blood and now he's dead. It can all be traced back to you. So why don't you do us all a favor and stay away from both of us."

Faith watched Elena crumble under his onslaught of words. She stepped forward. "That's enough, Stefan," Faith ordered in disapproval.

Elena took a breath. It hurt to hear Stefan echo some of her thoughts about herself, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of crying in front of him. This emotionless Stefan was a far cry from the man she used to love so much. "It's okay. Stefan wants me gone. I'm gone," she said. Then she looked at him a moment, a sudden fire coming into her eyes. "But you don't get to dictate to me anymore about anything. You're not my boyfriend. My relationship with your brother is none of your damn business." Then she turned and left.

"That was needlessly cruel, Stefan," Faith said with a frown.

"What can I say? She brings it out in me. I know if my emotions were on, I'd feel love for her, but right now I just feel disdain mixed with contempt," Stefan said.

"Fine. Whatever," Faith said wearily. She didn't want to get into another argument with Stefan. He was too unfeeling for it to really matter much.

Stefan grabbed her arm before she could get away. She tensed and gave him an annoyed look. "Let me go," she ordered.

Instead, Stefan's hand traveled down her arm until he could twine his hand in hers. "You don't have to leave," he said cajolingly.

"There's no point in staying," she said dismissively.

Stefan stepped closer to her and grabbed her other hand. He knew that she wasn't immune to his presence. Her heart raced when he got too close. "Sure, there is. We could have some fun," he said. He planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. He loved these sleeveless shirts she always wore. His lips trailed up her neck. Her nails dug into his hands in response. He smiled against her skin. Then he lifted his head to look at her.

Faith worked hard to ignore her body's instant response to him. She tried to push away the memories of the incredibly hot sex they'd had. However, when he sucked on her neck, her resolve began to weaken. He looked at her and smiled. Although she knew the smile was without any real emotion, it still affected her. When he put his mouth on hers, she didn't push him away like she knew she should. Instead, she opened her mouth slightly and kissed him back. It was like he had just been waiting for an opening because he swept his tongue inside. The kiss pushed all reason out of her mind. All she could do was be swept up in it. Her arms went around his neck, and he pulled her body up against him, aligning her with his growing erection. Faith gasped against his mouth as he rubbed his body against hers.

"It's so good between us. Why do you try to deny us?" Stefan asked as his lips trailed back down her neck.

Faith breathed heavily. "Fine. Turn your emotions back on and we'll stay in this bedroom all week. I'll do things you only dreamed of," she said with a sultry smile.

Stefan blinked in surprise and stopped kissing her. His eyes connected to hers. "I..I can't," he admitted, looking away. "Klaus told me to turn them off."

"Yes, I know. You did. But he didn't forbid you from turning them back on," she pointed out. "You want me. Then show me how much. Turn your emotions back on. I won't be with you unless you do. I don't want you this way."

"You do," he argued. "I can feel your body's response to me."

"My body doesn't control me. I won't be with you this way," she said firmly. She took a step back and dropped her arms to her side. She'd had plenty of meaningless sex in her life, but for some reason, she didn't want that anymore. Not with this particular man.

Stefan watched her walk out of his room in frustration. The woman was impossible.

****** _Back in Los Angeles******_

Damon spent most of his first day in L.A. carousing with Spike. The guy was a lot more fun than his pal Angel. Spike took him to his favorite haunts. It'd been a few decades since Damon had spent much time in the city of angels, so he enjoyed getting reacquainted. While they were drinking, Spike filled Damon in on his past year's adventure. Damon thought his year had been rough until he listened to Spike's tale.

"So let me get his straight. Wolfram & Hart is like the law firm for the devil," Damon said.

"Yep. Devils, demons, witches, vampires, and other beastlies. Some humans that are just plain evil and depraved. The lawyers literally sold their soul to the demons who ran it," Spike said. "But it had its perks. Angel had lots of expensive toys I enjoyed playing with."

"Haven't you collected your own wealth over the past centuries?" Damon asked.

"Who has time when you drift from place to place?" Spike said.

"You don't have a home base back in England?" Damon inquired.

"I just had me mum. I made the mistake of turning her into a vampire," Spike said with a grimace.

Damon winced. "You turned your mom into a soulless demon?" he asked.

"Well, I didn't quite realize what would happen," Spike said in embarrassment. "I've avoided London since then."

Damon laughed. They headed back home. The building that served as both their office and home had three floors. The top floor was where Illyria resided. Angel was in the basement. That left the second floor for Spike.

"Why does Angel stay in the basement? There's three bedrooms up here," Damon wondered when they made it up to Spike's apartment. Damon was given one of the spare bedrooms.

"Angel's not happy unless he's miserable. Staying in the basement suits him," Spike said with a shrug. He went to the fridge and handed Damon a blood bag.

Damon took it. However, after he took a drink, he spit it out. "What is this? It's not human blood!" he complained.

"Pig's blood," Spike said.

"Thanks but no thanks!" Damon said handing it back to Spike. "I watched my brother live off of animal blood. It makes him much weaker."

"It doesn't make us weaker. It keeps our demon at bay actually," Spike admitted. "Human blood is too intoxicating."

"Stefan's compulsions never last long when he drinks animal blood. He has ripper tendencies when he's on the human stuff, though," Damon said.

"I wish I could use compulsion. I'd have so much fun!" Spike said, relishing the thought. He walked over and ripped off the taped foil in his windows. Now he could let the morning sunlight stream inside. "Tomorrow, we should go to the Santa Monica pier. I've always wanted to see it in the daylight."

"Aren't you and your superfriends supposed to be teaching me how to be a better vampire?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Looks like you're already better than us. Faster. You can control people with your mind," Spike said enviously.

"And better looking. Don't forget," Damon added with a smirk.

Spike scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that," he said.

Damon grinned. "So when do I get to help you defeat evil and stuff?" Damon asked. It wasn't like he wanted to so much as he was intrigued. Spike talked about things Damon hadn't really seen or experienced. Damon had been alive for close to two hundred years, but he was discovering there was new things under the sun after all.

"Enjoy the quiet while you can. If someone doesn't come needing our help, Angel will get one of his visions that show us who does," Spike shared.

"Visions?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Cordelia used to get them. They're visions from The Powers That Be," Spike explained. "Angel's first partner was half-demon. He was Angel's guide. When he was about to die, he passed his visions on to Cordelia. Before she died, she gave them to Angel. Now he's a direct conduit to the Powers."

"Wow. That's handy," Damon said.

"Yep. So get some sleep. Around here you never know what tomorrow may bring," Spike said. He took his bag of pig's blood and went to his bedroom.

Damon walked into his. He opened up his suitcase and got out his supply of blood. He was pouring into a glass when his phone rang. He looked at it and saw it was Elena. Answering it would probably not be a good idea. However, he pushed talk and put the phone to his ear. "Hello, Elena," he said.

Elena wasn't sure he'd answer, so she was silent a moment. Finally, she said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said.

She wanted to say so much more. Then Stefan's words rang in her head. She really didn't want to make things harder for him. "I'm glad," she said simply.

Damon's guilt forced him to say, "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye to you."

"It's okay," she said softly, trying not to cry. "How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Be careful," she said.

"Always. You, too," he said.

Elena forced herself to hang up. She wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" Alaric said from her doorway.

She looked up. Nodding, she said, "I'm okay. I can't believe Damon left without saying goodbye."

Alaric stepped into her room and sat down on the bed next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Saying goodbye to you is too hard. You know how he feels about you," Alaric reminded him.

"Stefan said he's better off without me," Elena shared.

"Stefan is trying to steal Damon's dick title," Alaric replied, making Elena smile. "He's not himself. Don't listen to him. Both Salvatores would say that knowing and loving you has been the best thing that has ever happened to them."

Elena laid her head his shoulder. She was glad he was there. The doorbell rang.

"I'll go see who it is," Alaric said, getting up.

Elena felt wiped out. "If it's one of my friends, tell them I'm in bed. I'm too tired to socialize," she said.

"Good night," he said.

He went downstairs. Jeremy was opening the door. It was Buffy. Jeremy stepped back to let her in. He flashed Alaric a knowing smile and went upstairs as Alaric made it to the foot of the stairs. Buffy gave him a shy smile and waved a hand at him. "Hi. I hope it's okay that I stopped by," she said.

He smiled at her. "Of course! I'm glad you're back. When did you get in?" he asked. He led her to the couch.

"About two hours ago. Dawn and Willow had to tell me all about their first day of school. How was yours?" she asked _._

"Good. First days are easy. Tomorrow will be harder," he said. "Did you leave Damon without much crying on his part?"

"Mostly. He got slapped around by a former ancient hell god that works with Angel," Buffy shared, smiling.

"Bet that was entertaining," Alaric said grinning.

"You have no idea!" she said with a laugh. "But he seemed more concerned about me and my relationships with my exes."

"Really? Why?"

"He's afraid I'm going to break your heart," Buffy admitted. It had been bugging her since she'd left Damon. On the plane ride back, it was all she could think about.

"Are you?" Alaric asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I don't want to. I'm not planning on it," Buffy said, frowning. "But I want to tell you more about my past. Damon thinks I'm not free to be with you because it was obvious to him that I still care about Angel and Spike."

"So tell me," Alaric said. He sat back on the couch and put his arm around her shoulders much like he did Elena. The difference, though, was how he felt being so close to the powerful slayer. He definitely didn't have any paternal feelings toward her. He wasn't sure he was ready for all she stirred in him. However, he wasn't prepared to walk away either. Alaric decided that he just needed to adjust his expectations. Take it slow. Getting her to open up to him was a good way to start.

"Okay, if you're sure," Buffy said with an unsure smile.

"I am. I want to know everything about you," he said. Then he realized that he really meant it.

Buffy was relieved to hear him say that. So she began to talk.

****** _Chapter End*****_


	28. Promises of More

****** _Where We Left Off******_

Buffy finished telling Alaric her gloomy and often sordid romantic history. He listened without much comment. When she finished her tale, she looked at him warily. "I guess that's it," she said quietly. Now she would know if he could handle it. It was better to know now rather than get close and find he couldn't deal.

"And I thought mine was tragic!" he said, giving her a crooked smile.

"So you're not put off?" she asked anxiously.

"Well, I'm glad to know you did have a long term relationship with a human. Riley sounded like a great guy. But some men feel less when they're not the strongest one in the relationship," Alaric said.

"You don't?" she asked.

"Well, I've never really viewed men and women that way. My late wife Isobel was brilliant. I wasn't jealous of her academic career. When I found out about vampires and suspected she was killed by one, I began researching and training to kill her murderer. Then I found out it was Damon and tried to kill him," Alaric shared.

"Really?" Buffy asked in surprise. "You weren't scared? You're just a regular human."

"I'd killed one pretty effortlessly, so I thought I'd have a chance. I didn't know that the older the vampire, the stronger. Damon was too quick, and he broke my neck," Alaric said. He held up his hand. "Of course, that's when I found out what this ring could do. It was the last thing Isobel gave me before she disappeared."

Buffy frowned at the reminder of the power of that ring. "Willow says that you can't cheat death without consequence. Raising me from the dead had some nasty ones. Do you mind letting me have the ring to give to her to study? Maybe she can duplicate it," Buffy asked.

"Sure," he said. He took it off and gave it to her. "Of course, now I'm vulnerable. I may need someone to protect me from the supernatural creatures that live in this town."

Buffy smiled. "I think I may know just the woman for the job," she said. "How will you repay her?"

He looked thoughtful. "Chocolate?" he suggested with a grin.

"I do love chocolate. Of course, that's not my favorite way to get paid," she said with a saucy grin. She leaned up and kissed him.

He pulled her close and returned the kiss. Every part of him came alive when she touched him. Kissing her seemed to push all his worries and fears out of his mind. However, one question or two remained. He broke off the kiss. "Are you sure you're free to see me? It's okay if you're still in love with Angel or Spike," he said. "I can't say my love for Jenna is gone."

"I think it's okay to love people who matter to you. Dead or alive. It doesn't matter. Love never dies completely. I still love Angel. I love Spike. But the love has changed. Angel is a part of me. Being with him is always bittersweet. He can never be happy. His curse won't allow it. So I am always moved by him to some degree. With Riley, I'll admit, I held a part of myself back from him," she shared. "I had loved Angel so completely and so many things had went wrong. First, he lost his soul. Then he tried every way he could to torment me. Then I had to kill him. When he came back to me, I thought fate had changed its mind. But that wasn't the case. He and I know our lives will never allow us to be together. Even if he was suddenly curse free, I doubt we'd magically be together."

"Doubt? You're not sure?" Alaric asked.

"I don't want to lie or mislead you. I can just tell you how I feel now. I am not in love with Angel. He's important to me. He always will be, but he's not in my life. Neither is Spike. I'd like to explore things between us if you think you can deal," she said honestly.

He brushed a hand through her hair and twirled a long, golden lock around his finger. "I'm not exactly whole right now, so I can't really complain. I've loved exactly two women, and they both became vampires and left me. One willingly. I don't care that you're supernaturally strong. I think it's as sexy as hell," he said grinning. "Damon turned my wife into a vampire and broke my neck more than once. Yet I found a way to move past it. We somehow became friends, so I know what it's like to adapt to whatever life throws at you."

"I put Faith in a coma once, and she stole my body and then slept with my boyfriend. I know all about moving past things, too," Buffy said with a rueful smile.

"I bet life with you is never dull," he said.

"Well, it's true. I don't do dull very well," she admitted.

"I'm a history teacher. I have enough dullness in my life," he said smiling.

Buffy laughed. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm really glad we came to this town," she told him.

"Me, too," he said. He put his arm around her. The peace of the perfect moment washed over both of them.

****** _Back in Los Angeles*******_

Damon's second day in L.A. started out mostly uneventful. Angel made him spend some time showing them his moves. Like Buffy, both men were better skilled in hand to hand combat. Damon had never needed those skills. His speed was his advantage.

"I don't see why I need to become a blackbelt," he grumbled. "I just rip out their hearts before they can react."

"What if you're up against someone who is older and stronger than you?" Angel asked. "Don't you think knowing how to handle yourself better would be an asset?"

"Maybe," he admitted grudgingly.

"So I'll start you and Spike out and see how you do," Angel said.

He was so serious about everything. Damon couldn't believe how much Angel reminded him of Stefan. He shook his head. "Okay," he agreed. "I'm not completely without skills."

Illyria came downstairs as the two men began to trade jabs. Damon slowed his speed down enough to exchange a few blows, but his survival instinct wouldn't let him allow Spike to connect with his body. He always managed to move at the last second.

"Stand still, you bloody jumping Jack!" Spike complained.

Damon grinned. "Move faster, old man!" he replied.

"The pretty vampire is quick," Illyria observed.

Angel glanced at her. "Yes, he is. Almost like you used to be," Angel said.

Illyria sniff. She didn't like to be reminded of how much less she was. "I didn't move quickly. I simply slowed down time," she said haughtily.

Damon moved behind Spike and wrapped his arm around his neck. Spike tried to remove it but couldn't. "Okay, that's enough!" Spike exclaimed.

Damon released him. "I think I'm good," he said smugly.

Angel threw him a sword. Damon instinctively grabbed it. He looked surprised. Angel grabbed one for himself. Without a word, he swung the sword at Damon's head. Damon barely had time to react and move out of the way.

"You almost took off my head!" Damon fumed.

"That's usually how it works with demons. They don't give you a minute to get ready," Angel said without apology.

Spike snickered. "Teach him some humility, Angel," Spike called out.

Angel didn't give Damon time but pressed forward with his sword. Damon was forced to stand still and parry. At first, Damon was taken aback by the ferocity of Angel's blows. Sword fighting wasn't something he'd spent much time doing. However, he soon got the hang of it and felt his excitement level grow. Angel was obviously well experienced and took training very seriously. Damon kept bringing his sword up again and again. The man was like a machine. He didn't smile or show any expression. He just kept coming at Damon.

Damon was forced to duck yet again as Angel didn't hold back. He pressed forward, trying to force Damon to give way. Damon was holding steady, but then Angel did the unexpected. He swept Damon's legs out from under him. Then he pressed the sword point to Damon's neck. Damon looked up at him in alarm.

Angel finally showed some emotion. "Not bad," he said with satisfaction. Then he held out his hand to help Damon to his feet.

"You almost killed me," Damon said in annoyance.

"Almost is nothing," Angel said. "I have to know you can handle yourself. I've seen enough people die that were fighting along side of me. I don't need another death on my conscience."

"I've been a vampire 165 years-give or take-I think I can handle myself," Damon said carelessly.

"We'll see," Angel said dismissively. "I got work to do. I'll catch you guys later." He walked toward the stairs.

"Don't let Angel get you down. You did fine. He's had loads of practice with that sword," Spike said cheerfully. "We cut down legions of demon hordes a few months back when we pissed off the Senior Partners."

"Is he always so intense and focused?" Damon asked.

"Yep," Spike said. "He likes to make out like it's that curse that kept him and Buff apart. But it's really 'cause he and Buffy are too much alike."

"You think so?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Buffy is the most driven and intense woman I've ever known. She takes the weight of the world on her shoulders just like dreary-face Angel," Spike said. "It can be a total drag."

"She is a drag. I'll give you that!" Damon agreed.

"I won't tell you how much fun she can be, though," Spike said with a wicked grin.

"Don't need that imagine in my head. Thanks," Damon said with a grimace.

"Come on. Let's go get some breakfast," Spike said. He walked toward the stairs.

Damon wasn't sure what to think about his new situation. However, he had a feeling it was going to be interesting.

****** _New York******_

Caroline's first full day in New York was a blast. It seemed like they saw the entire city. For the first time, she realized how truly tireless she was as a vampire. All the running around should've exhausted her. Instead, it exhilarated her. Kol and Klaus both had favorite places they insisted she had to see. Kol was loving all the changes to the city, and he took delight in all the things that were exactly the same. They saved the Empire State building for last. Caroline insisted on visiting it at dusk. She wanted to see the view both in daylight and at night.

The three of them stood on the observation deck, looking out at the magnificent view. They watched the sun set.

"It's so amazing," Caroline said in awe. Each of the brothers stood on either side of her.

"Well, you should see the Eiffel Tower. It's even better," Klaus said.

"I can't wait!" Caroline said excitedly.

"We'll take you," Kol offered with a grin.

"Of course. After I take care of a few things back home," Klaus said.

"I have school. It's my last year. I'm not going to blow it off. I have my entire life to see Paris," Caroline said.

"True," Kol acknowledged. He eyed some co-eds a few feet away. "I'm getting hungry. I'll be back."

"You're always hungry," Klaus said.

"Don't kill anyone!" Caroline said vehemently.

Kol just grinned and walked off.

Caroline frowned after him. "Don't worry, love. He won't. It'll cause too much trouble. Not to mention he knows it'll upset you," Klaus assured her.

They stood there looking out at the darkening sky. The city lights began to shine.

"I feel so small when I look out at this," Caroline remarked.

"If you wanted it, I'd lay this entire city down at your feet," Klaus said to her.

Caroline looked at him about to laugh. Then she realized he wasn't joking. He was sincere. Suddenly, his intensity made her uncomfortable. "And how many people would you kill to do that?"

"As many as it took," he vowed.

"That's the thing, Klaus. I don't want people to die. Never because of me," Caroline said quietly.

Klaus was unable to hold her gaze. It made him feel incredibly unworthy.

"Promise me something," Caroline said.

"What?" he asked warily.

"Promise me you won't hurt my friends," she said. "I know you're planning something against Buffy and Faith. I don't think you'll be successful. Nor do I think she'll kill you because she won't risk killing me. That's the kind of person she is. But I don't want my friends hurt."

Klaus frowned unhappily. He didn't want to talk about his plans or the slayers. There would be time enough to deal with them. "So who do you consider off limits?"

"Buffy and Willow can take care of themselves, but don't hurt Elena, Bonnie, Matt, or Jeremy," Caroline said. Then she added, "Or Rick or Dawn."

"Dawn?" he asked.

"That's Buffy's sister. She's just a human girl. She has no superpowers. She's not a threat to you," Caroline said. "I like her."

"Well, if you like her, she must be loads of fun," Klaus said diplomatically. "I doubt the slayer allows her breakable sister to go out in battle with her."

"No, probably not," Caroline agreed.

"I promise not to hurt your friends. But let's not talk about the slayer. There's time enough for that," Klaus said.

Kol came back over. "I got them nice and compelled for you, doll, if you wanna take a nibble," he told Caroline.

"I don't want to get into that habit," she said, shaking her head.

"We need to go," Klaus said. "I got us tickets to the opera."

Kol groaned. "That boring crap? Are you kidding?" he scoffed.

"Everyone should experience the opera at least once in their lives," Klaus said. "We'll go see a Broadway show tomorrow."

Caroline clapped her hands excitedly. "I can't wait!" she exclaimed "I want to experience everything!"

Klaus and Kol both were captivated by her passion and her light and shared a look of mutual understanding. They each hooked onto her arm and led her to the elevator.

****** _Back in Mystic Falls******_

By midweek, the Summers had already developed a routine. Buffy spent the time Rick was at school training with the girls at the Salvatores' massive courtyard. Then in the early evening she met him at the Grille where she could also see her sister and catch up.

Wednesday, Dawn watched her sister sitting and whispering with Mr. Saltzman at a table. She grinned at them. Rick had his arm around her and was obviously taking great delight in whatever Buffy was saying.

Matt came up behind her. "Your sister seems to be getting pretty close with Mr. Saltzman," he observed, looking at them.

"Yeah, I know. It's kind of weird now that I have him as a teacher. Willow I've known forever, so I just find her funny as a teacher. But Rick or Mr. Saltzman is another thing. I don't even know what to call him anymore!" Dawn bemoaned.

"Well, you can't call him Rick in class. Elena slips up sometimes. It's pretty funny. He doesn't care, but teachers gotta be careful when they're at school," Matt said. "He lives with her now as her and Jeremy's guardian, so he doesn't care what you call him outside of school."

Dawn walked over to her sister's table. "Hey, guys," she said. She sat down across from them.

"How was school?" Buffy asked. "I hope you're not working every day."

"No, just four days a week. You can relax," Dawn said. "I'm off tomorrow and Friday." Matt walked by to clear a nearby table.

Buffy watched her sister make googly eyes at the Donovan kid. "You have it bad," she said with a laugh.

"Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Dawn asked with a dreamy sigh.

Buffy looked over at Rick and winked at him. "I'm not so sure about _that_ , but he is a cutie," she agreed.

"And he's so nice. Not like most jocks. He's like practically perfect," Dawn said.

"So when are you going out with him?" Buffy asked.

Dawn frowned. "I don't know. He hasn't asked me. I mean I have him in two classes. We have lunch at school together and talk all the time, but he doesn't seem to treat me any differently than anyone else," Dawn said.

"You know he's dated both Elena and Caroline," Rick said.

"And?" Dawn asked.

"Isn't there a girl rule against dating your friends' ex?" Rick asked.

"Only if your friend is still hung up on them. They're not," Dawn said. "The fact that he dated them just tells me that he has excellent taste."

"So you really like him, huh?" Rick asked.

"Totally," she replied.

"I think I can help," Rick said. He motioned for Matt to come to the table.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked in a panic.

"Trust me," Rick said with a grin.

"What's up?" Matt asked as he came over to their table.

"I was needing a favor," Rick said. "I'm trying to convince Buffy to let me take her out Friday to dinner out of town and a movie. But she refuses to leave Dawn alone for that many hours."

Buffy grinned, liking his plan. "The girl can get into too much trouble if left to her own devices, and Willow has her own plans," she added.

Dawn put her head on the table in mortification. "You guys are so embarrassing," she complained.

Matt smiled down at her. "So how can I help?" he asked.

"You could join us, so Dawn won't feel like a third wheel," Rick suggested. "Are you off Friday?"

"No, but I can switch with someone," he said.

"So you're in?" Rick asked.

"Sure. Sounds like fun," he said. He grabbed his bus tub and went to a newly vacated table.

"I cannot believe you did that!" Dawn said, mortified.

"Hey, if he didn't like you, he would've suggested Elena or Bonnie join you, too," Rick said with satisfaction.

Buffy's eyes brightened. "Very true," she said. "You are pretty intuitive for a man."

"For a man? A bit sexist, aren't you?" Rick asked in mock outrage.

"Maybe just a bit," Buffy said with a grin. She kissed him. "I'm sorry."

"Uck!" Dawn said, getting up. "I'll go check on your food."

She walked back to the counter. Matt came around the corner to put the empty tub down under the counter.

"I'm so sorry about that!" Dawn said to him. "They never said a word to me about their plans."

Matt shrugged and smiled. "It's okay. I don't mind spending an evening with you," he said.

"You don't?" Dawn asked, her heart racing.

"No," he said.

"Okay, then," Dawn said weakly. She went to the grille window and grabbed an order.

_******Back in Los Angeles*******_

Damon had been in L.A. three days, and they hadn't done much but train and watch Illyria slap Spike around. It was like her favorite hobby. Damon decided it must be because the guy knew how to take a beating. He seemed to relish in it. Damon watched him get up over and over. The guy was definitely strange. However, Damon decided he wasn't too bad. He was very different from Rick, but Damon found his sunny disposition a nice change.

Thursday night, they were hanging in the office swapping tall tales when Angel stopped mid-sentence. He put his hand to his temple.

Damon looked at Spike, who was looking eagerly at Angel. "A vision? Finally! I'm about to die here. It's been days since I've gotta kill anything," Spike said.

"Vision?" Damon asked.

"I told you. He's gets visions sometimes from the Powers of people who need help," Spike said.

Angel got to his feet. "There's a nest of vamps down on Third street about to feed on some teenagers," Angel said.

"Let's go!" Spike said jumping to his feet.

When they made it to Angel's convertible, Damon paused. "Where's Illyria?"

"Blue thinks killing vamps is beneath her," Spike said as he got into the car. Damon hopped in the backseat.

"She'll kill them if confronted with them, but we don't like to listen to her long winded speeches about her glory and how beneath her we all are. Yada, yada," Spike said with an eye roll. "There's only so much of the crap a bloke can take!"

Angel started the car and peeled out quickly.

"So how does this work? You get an address with your visions?" Damon asked.

"Sometimes. Sometimes the flashes have landmarks or I'll see a street sign," Angel explained.

"That's handy," Damon observed.

"Yeah, it's great getting a splitting migraine that last for an hour or two," Angel said sarcastically.

Spike snickered. "You know you love it when you suffer," Spike said.

Angel pulled off onto a street. "That way," he said pointing. They walked until they heard a loud scream. Naturally, it was down a dark alley.

Five guys had cornered two girls. Spike handed Damon a wooden stake. "Here," he said.

Damon looked at it in bemusement. "What am I supposed to do with this? It isn't much of a club," he complained.

"You stab them with it, you dumb yank," Spike said. "Only wood will kill them. Straight in the heart."

Damon laughed and tossed it back to Spike. Then he sped ahead and jammed his hand through one of the guy's ribcage and pulled out the heart. It crumbled to dust as did the body. "Cool!" he exclaimed. He'd heard that these vamps did that, but he wasn't quite sure he believed it until now. He turned to Angel and Spike. "Or I could just do that!" He flashed the men a smirk. Then he was knocked hard in the head.

Spike pulled the vampire off of Damon and stabbed it while Angel quickly took out two others. The remaining one ran off. Angel quietly spoke to the two girls, who nodded and rushed out of the alley.

Damon jumped to his feet, his ears still ringing. "You can't take your eyes off of them, especially when there's more than one," Angel scolded.

Damon was embarrassed for his amateur move and didn't say anything.

Spike clap his hands together. "I love a spot of violence before bedtime!" he said with relish.

"Yeah, it was fun," Damon said.

"That's pretty cool how you can just rip out the hearts," Spike said with admiration. "I've never tried that."

"You'd break a nail," Angel said mockingly.

Spike looked down at his black nails. "You're just jealous because my hands can still touch the ladies!" he said.

"Hey, so can mine. I just have to keep a part of myself back," Angel said, shooting Spike a dark look.

Damon listened to the two men bicker all the way back to their home. He laughed softly; the two vampires never failed to entertain. Spike was both jealous of Angel and admired him. They weren't family. At times, Angel acted like he hated Spike. However, Damon had a feeling Angel needed his much lighter companion more than he realized. Watching the two men made him miss his own brother. He hoped nothing happened to Stefan while he was gone. Stefan wasn't in a good place, so Damon wasn't sure how much he could trust his brother's usual good sense. How much time was he going to have to spend so far away from everyone that mattered to him?

****** _New York******_

The past few days had been like a dream for Caroline. When she had agreed to come to New York with the two brothers, she had done so on a whim. She had just wanted to escape the horror that was often her life in Mystic Falls. Tyler's pointless death had hurt her deeply. A part of her did acknowledge that Klaus was as responsible for his death as Damon. After all, if he hadn't made Tyler a hybrid, there wouldn't have been any issues. He had also used Elena and Damon in a sick game. She hadn't forgotten either how the man had killed both Jenna and Elena. Of course, Elena didn't stay dead, but that wasn't the point. On some level, Caroline knew that the man would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He had been alive too long and was ruthless to his core.

However, it was hard now to hold all his deeds against him. Caroline had a forgiving nature. Much as she'd forgiven Damon for all that he had done to hurt her the previous year, she'd managed to look at Klaus with unbiased eyes. Klaus, in turn, had found her attitude and acceptance refreshing. She was like a flower blossoming for the first time. Everything she did was a new adventure. Every day a new excitement. Kol was equally captivated by her and worked hard to seduce her. The fact that Caroline laughed at his every attempt both surprised and entertained Klaus.

Currently, it was Friday night, and they were at a dance club. Klaus hadn't been surprised that Caroline loved to go dancing. The past two nights they had went to different clubs. He was awestruck by her innocence and her passion for life. It had been so long since he'd felt that way himself. Being with her brought emotions awake inside of them that he had thought long dead. Klaus watched her from their table as she and Kol danced to the fast beat. His vampire hearing allowed him to easily listen to their conversation.

"I don't know why you keep resisting me," Kol cajoled. "We are perfect together. We're both beautiful, charming, and deadly."

"What every relationship needs," Caroline said dryly.

"Who said anything about a relationship? I just want to shag you," Kol informed her with a grin.

Caroline laughed then stopped dancing. She put her arms around his neck and looked serious. "If I wanted you to fall hopelessly in love with me, you would. You would be begging me for a relationship. You'd bring me flowers every day and compose sonnets in my name," she said seductively. She whispered in his ear. "If I wanted to shag you, you'd never be satisfied with another woman ever again." She nipped his ear. When he groaned, she laughed.

"Why are you such a tease?" he complained when she stepped back and continued swaying to the music.

"I'm not a tease. I'm a flirt. There's a difference," she said smartly. "You are like an overgrown puppy. I'd roll out of the bed laughing if I let you try and seduce me."

Kol tried to be offended, but when she grinned at him, he couldn't. They were always having such a good time that a part of him worried things would go south if they started sleeping together. Rebekah used to be fun like this. He and his sister used to be inseparable. For their first five hundred years, it had been his side she'd been bound to. Then after a bad romance, she'd turned to Klaus out of guilt. Things had never been the same between them. Now that Klaus had daggered both of them, they were back on an even plane. However, her abandonment of him to run around with their brother still stung.

"Fine. Leave me in my lonely bed," he said morosely.

Caroline giggled. "Yeah, like your bed's been empty. There wouldn't be room in your bed if I wanted to sleep with you," she reminded him.

"We'd use your bed," he replied without missing a beat.

"You are shameless!" Caroline exclaimed, laughing.

He grinned back at her as the song ended. The music changed to a romantic balled.

Klaus appeared by their side. "I believe it's my turn," he said, holding out his hand. Caroline had soon found out that Kol was impossible to slow dance to. He couldn't control his roving hands. After slapping him for the third time last night, Klaus mediated by declaring that he would dance all the slow dances with her.

At first, Caroline had been delighted by his manners and skills. Then as the night grew longer, it had been harder and harder to be pulled up against him. It had dismayed her to experience a growing attraction for the deadly man. He hadn't made a move on her. His restraint had been appreciated. Caroline wasn't completely sure she'd be able to resist him. Not here anyway. Not when they were so far removed from Mystic Falls and all their baggage.

Tonight Klaus was gazing intently at her as they danced. It was making Caroline very uncomfortable.

"Will you stop that!" she complained.

"Stop what?" he asked, flashing a dimple at her.

His boyish smile never ceased to catch her off guard. It was so surprising every time. "Stop looking at me like that!" she ordered with her sternest frown.

"Like what?" he asked innocently.

"Like you're thinking naughty thoughts about me or trying to gaze into my soul or something," she said, surprising him once again with her frankness.

Klaus chuckled. "I am not thinking naughty thoughts. I'm just enjoying the moment. I may have lived for over a thousand years, but it's rare that I take time to gaze at such beauty as yours," he said sincerely.

"Now you're just being silly! I'm not that beautiful. Pretty enough but I'm sure you've seen much prettier," she said, rolling her eyes.

Klaus examined her closely. He realized she wasn't showing false modesty but honestly didn't see her own appeal. "It's not just your outward beauty I'm admiring—though you have that a plenty—it's the innocence and goodness I see in your eyes. I find you completely uncorrupted. For a human, that's unusual; for a vampire it's extremely rare. I'm not sure what to think," Klaus admitted.

Caroline flushed in embarrassment. She didn't know how to take a compliment like that. "I'm not an angel. I killed a man once. I'm mostly petty, jealous, and insecure," she confessed.

"You killed once? Only _once_? I doubt there's another vampire alive that could ever boast such a thing," Klaus said. "As for those other qualities you mentioned, I bet those were your human qualities. I haven't seen any sign of jealousy or insecurity the past week."

"Who would I be jealous of when I have you and Kol dancing attendance on me?" she asked with a grin.

Klaus swung her out and rolled her back into his arms, causing her to laugh in delight. "It's our pleasure," he said. And it was. He wasn't sure what compelled him to issue his invitation to join him. Nor was he sure what caused her to accept. He had many balls in the air right now, and the timing was not the best. However, he had an impulse to reach out and pull her close. Rarely did he ignore his impulses. For once, this was the best impulse he'd had in a long time.

The song ended. "I'm thirsty," Caroline said.

They headed back to their table. It was a quiet table that Kol had bribed or compelled someone to save while they danced. The man stood up when they approached and disappeared into the crowd. Caroline drank the margarita she had left on the table. The server approached, and they both ordered some more drinks.

Caroline's phone rang. She'd mostly been ignoring it. Elena, Bonnie, and Matt called her daily, but she never wanted to talk to them and have to explain her actions or defend herself. She called her mom every night and recounted everything she'd done. Her mom held her tongue and only asked nightly if she was sure she was okay. By her third night here, Liz had relaxed some.

"Who is it?" Klaus asked curiously.

"Dawn," Caroline said, debating on answering. Dawn had only called once since she'd been gone.

"You should answer it. You haven't talked to your friends since you've been gone," Klaus said. He was, of course, only interested in discovering if the slayer had any plans her little sister would share.

Caroline pushed talk and put the phone up to her ear.

"Caroline?" Dawn asked.

"Hey, Dawn. How are you?" Caroline asked.

"I'm really great. I've been really missing you this week. I hope it's okay that I called you, but I wanted to tell someone about my night," Dawn said.

Caroline smiled into the phone. It was nice to be missed. "Of course, it's okay that you called. I'm sorry I didn't call you back, but we've been very busy seeing the sights and stuff," she said.

"Is Klaus there with you?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," she said slowly.

"If you're becoming friends with him, you might want to give him some advice," Dawn said, knowing the vampire could overhear easily.

"What's that?" Caroline asked while sharing a smile with the man in question.

"Tell him that if he's as smart as he thinks he is, he won't come back to Mystic Falls and cause problems. He has no idea the power Willow can channel or how resourceful my sister is. She has faced foes stronger and more powerful than him. I know he thinks he's the baddest bad around, but he's not. He wouldn't be so nice to you if he was. Truly evil people don't care about anyone or anything. Buffy doesn't like to kill anyone that isn't evil, so she won't try to kill him unless he gives her no choice. However, Willow will make things really unpleasant for him," Dawn said.

Klaus shrugged, not intimidated. "I'll tell him," Caroline said.

"I'm sure he's not impressed with my warning, but you can't say he wasn't warned," Dawn said. "But I didn't call to talk about him."

Caroline shooed Klaus away. He got up and walked over to the bar. "He's gone. You can talk freely," she told Dawn.

"So my sister and Rick wanted to go out of Mystic Falls for dinner and a movie. Well, that's not it exactly. Rick saw me mooning over Matt, who seemed oblivious, and decided to take matters in his own hands," Dawn shared.

"He didn't!" she gasped in dismay.

"Yes, I wanted to die. I was standing there at their table talking to them when Rick waved Matt over. Then he gave this story about wanting to take Buffy out of town for several hours on Friday, but Buffy wouldn't leave me alone for so long since Willow had plans," Dawn shared.

"How embarrassing!" Caroline exclaimed in sympathy.

"Yeah, right? Then he asked Matt if he wanted to join us, so I wouldn't feel like a third wheel," Dawn said. "Of course, I had no idea he was planning any of this!"

"What did Matt say?" Caroline asked.

"He said yes. We just got home a bit ago," Dawn said.

"Well, I know Matt, and if he didn't want to go or be set up he would've found a way to make it less date like," Caroline said.

"Yeah, that's what Rick said," Dawn said. "I don't think he minded at all."

"Really? Do tell!" Caroline said, enjoying the chance to gossip with a girlfriend.

"Well, at first it was a bit awkward. But Rick and Buffy kept sharing various tales. Then Matt shared about how he was dating you and found out all about the vampire stuff," Dawn said.

"Not one of my better moments," Caroline said. "We had just started getting serious. I was a bit on the crazy side. I bit him once and may have killed him if it wasn't for Stefan. Of course, I compelled him to forget and healed him. That's why I couldn't be with him anymore. Then I started spending more time with Tyler." Her voice trailed off as a fresh wave of pain for his death hit her.

"I'm really sorry about Tyler. He seemed like a great guy," Dawn said in sympathy.

"He wasn't always. He used to be a real jerk. Just like I used to be much less likeable before I became a vampire. Turning into a werewolf matured him and brought out his better nature," she said.

"Willow became much more confident when she became a witch. Of course, then she went all dark Willow and almost destroyed the world," Dawn said.

"I guess all of us are good at making mistakes," Caroline said. "So how did this date of yours go?"

"We went to the movies. I made sure and kept two empty seats between me and Buffy," she shared.

"Naturally," Caroline said. "So were you holding hands by the end of the movie?"

"Yes!" Dawn said happily. "He drove his truck to our house, so Buffy and Rick went inside, and we stayed on the porch and talked."

"Talked?" Caroline said in disbelief.

"Yes, talked. Then I walked him to his truck. He asked me if I wanted to hang out tomorrow after work without chaperons. When I said yes, he smiled and kissed me," Dawn said on an excited note.

"He did? Go Matt!" Caroline said.

Dawn sighed into the phone. "He's so great!" she exclaimed. Then she realized something. "Does it bother you to hear this since you and he dated? Rick told me he thought it violated the girl code. I told him it didn't if you and Elena weren't still hung up on him."

"We're not, so don't worry. We love him, though. There's not a better guy in town than Matt Donovan. His mom and sister were basically white trash, but not Matt. He's always been the best guy around," Caroline said.

"So when are you coming back? School's kind of lonely without you," Dawn said.

"Aren't Bonnie and Elena keeping you company?" Caroline asked.

"Well, mostly. The first day they kind of abandoned me because Elena was annoyed at Rebekah because she was taking up for her brothers. I've been spending a lot of time with her. Matt, though, came over and sat with us. Then Elena and Bonnie joined us. So we've been eating together," Dawn shared. "Elena's kind of distant. She doesn't really like Rebekah or her connection to Klaus."

"You're becoming friends with Rebekah? That's good. Maybe if everyone's friends we can avoid some bloodshed. I'll be back tomorrow or Sunday," Caroline shared.

"Good! Come see me when you get back back. I want to hear all about your adventures," Dawn told her.

"I will. See you soon," Caroline said. She hung up and took a sip of her drink. Klaus returned and sat across from her. He was frowning.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't like thinking of you kissing other guys," he said.

Caroline looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"How could you date that Donovan fella? He's so ordinary," Klaus said in disapproval.

"You were eavesdropping! Shame on you! You know you never hear anything good when you do that," Caroline said, repeating what her mom always said to her.

"I can't help that I have superior hearing," Klaus said defensively.

Caroline laughed and shook her head. She looked sad.

"Are you thinking about my hybrid that Damon murdered?" Klaus asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I can't believe he is gone," she said. Her eyes filled with tears.

Her tears tore something inside of Klaus. "I will kill Damon. I promise!" he vowed.

"He's not in town anymore, and it'd just upset Elena," Caroline said sadly. "He doesn't mean to be an ass. He's just impulsive. He really isn't rational when it comes to Elena. You know he fed her vampire blood before your ceremony. He figured having her come back as a vampire was better than losing her completely."

"He was right," Klaus replied.

"Not to Elena. She doesn't want to be a vampire," Caroline said.

"Then she shouldn't fall in love with vampires," Klaus said dryly.

Caroline looked at him a moment and then laughed. He had a point there.

Kol returned and joined them. "What's the joke? What did I miss?" he asked.

"Not much. Caroline was talking to the slayer's little sister," Klaus shared. "It seems our sister is becoming quite chummy with her."

Kol frowned. "You know how emotional Rebekah is. That may cause you problems," he said to Klaus.

"Maybe you should stop this vendetta and stay out of Mystic Falls," Caroline said glibly.

"It was our town first," Kol said. "Before it was Mystic Falls, we were there for several decades."

"True," Klaus said. "And I never back down from a challenge. The slayers and their witch will learn what it means to go up against a true immortal."

Caroline coughed to cover up her laugh. Klaus frowned at her in displeasure. Then his phone rang. "You found him? You're sure it was him?" Klaus asked whoever was on the other end. "Don't say more. You can bring him to me. I'll call you later and work out the details." He hung up without saying goodbye.

"Who was that?" Caroline asked.

"A witch friend," Klaus said. "Well, it's time to end our week of fun. I'm going to have to take care of some business before heading back to Mystic Falls."

"Well, Caroline and I will sleep in and catch a flight home tomorrow," Kol said.

"So you're leaving?" Caroline asked, feeling disappointed.

"Don't worry, love. I'll be back home by Sunday at the latest. Then we'll end this mess with the slayer once and for all," he said with confidence.

Caroline frowned. "I wish you didn't have to be like this, Klaus. People will get hurt. _You_ could get hurt," Caroline said, upset at the thought.

Kol found the idea of his brother being hurt ludicrous and laughed. Klaus, however, was touched by her concern. He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be fine. I may kill your slayers, but I promise not to hurt your friends."

That didn't make Caroline feel any better. Her time with the two brothers had been so perfect, but now she knew they were all going to go back home to a blood bath.

_******TO BE CONTINUED*******_


	29. An Unexpected Move

_******Saturday*******_

It was Saturday afternoon when Elijah came into their house to find Rebekah sitting in the living room staring out the window.

"Is everything alright?" Elijah asked her in concern. "Did you not have a good time last night with your friend?"

Rebekah turned to her brother. "Yes, everything's fine. Willow took me to a motion picture. It was quite delightful. They are much different than they used to be," Rebekah shared.

Elijah sat down on the couch. "Yes, it seems that most people today exchange them for actual reading," Elijah said. "I have never understood the appeal. Live theatre is much better."

"So many changes. It's all a bit overwhelming," Rebekah admitted. "The world is so different."

Elijah felt a flash of pain at her words. "Sister, you know I never dreamed you were alive and locked away somewhere. I really did think you were dead. Niklaus led me to believe everyone was dead. I assumed either by his hands or Father's," Elijah said.

"He told me he did it to keep me safe from our father, but I don't know," Rebekah said sadly.

"With Niklaus, you can never be sure," Elijah said with a frown. "So what plans do you and your friends have this evening?"

"Willow wants me to go to her house and help her do some magic," Rebekah said.

"She needs help?" Elijah asked in surprise.

"I think she likes doing magic with other people. She's teaching Bonnie stuff. I told her Mother was a witch, so she thinks I should be able to do magic," Rebekah shared.

"That's impossible. Mother chose to stay human because she didn't want to lose her powers. She was assured that the spirits would turn against her if she became an abomination," Elijah said.

"Yet she had no trouble turning us into abominations," Rebekah said bitterly.

"She did what she thought was best to save us," Elijah said.

"Willow says that magic is probably still a part of me. Since I'm not a demon, she doesn't see why I couldn't do magic," Rebekah said. "She doesn't see a monster when she looks at me."

Elijah could tell his sister was confused. "You're not a monster. None of us are. Although we can behave like monsters at times," he said.

Rebekah looked down at her hands, trying to find the courage to ask her oldest brother something.

"What's on your mind? You know you can always talk to me. You used to run to me all the time when you were a child," Elijah said with a fond smile.

"Because you were quick to take my side," she replied smiling. "Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

"You can ask. I can't promise to answer," Elijah said.

"Ah, well, have you ever been with a man?" Rebekah asked. Then she quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"Do you mean carnally?" Elijah asked. She nodded. "Well, after a thousand years of life, there's not much I haven't tried at one time or another. In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, it was quite in fashion amongst the aristocracy."

Rebekah's eyes got wide. "Really? How did I not know that?" she asked.

"Because women were sheltered from the harsh realities of life. Not to mention many of those men were married to women," Elijah said.

"So you don't think it's wrong?" Rebekah asked.

"Who are we to judge? We often kill to survive," Elijah pointed out. "Is there a reason you're interested? Is it because of the witch?"

Rebekah nodded. "She doesn't like men. Only women," Rebekah said.

"And she likes you?" Elijah inquired.

"Yes. She's very bold and unashamed about it," Rebekah said with a shy smile. "I'm not sure what to think. I've never been with a woman before."

"Even though you've lived for centuries, you've been very sheltered. Too many brothers," Elijah said with a rueful grin. "Do you like this girl?"

Rebekah nodded. "She is funny and extremely intelligent. And she can do such extraordinary things so effortlessly," Rebekah said, showing enthusiasm for the first time. "She doesn't even have to recite an incantation or spell to do some things."

"Yes, she is unique and possibly quite deadly. Tread carefully, sister. She is Miss Summers' right hand. Our brother is up to something. His trip out of town isn't purely for fun no matter who he invited," Elijah said.

Rebekah frowned. "What is he up to?"

"Well, I'm sure he's making hybrids with the fair Elena's blood," Elijah said. "I know there's a wolf pack outside of Albany."

The front door opened and their brother Kol came strolling in.

"You have returned," Elijah said, stating the obvious.

"You get smarter every century, don't you, brother?" Kol said with a smirk. "Yes, I have returned. I dropped the lovely Caroline off at her place first."

"Is she okay?" Elijah asked.

Kol frowned as if offended by the question. "Of course, she is! We had a grand ole time. She's a lot of fun," Kol said. He looked at his sister. "Like you used to be!"

"So which of you did she sleep with or did you share her?" Rebekah asked snidely.

Kol laughed. "As if our brother would ever share a woman of his!" Kol exclaimed. "I tried my best, but she kept rebuffing my advances. There's only so much laughter a man can take."

Rebekah laughed. "Seriously? She laughed at you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yep. She didn't sleep with either of us, but we still had a great time," Kol said smugly.

"Where's Nik?" Rebekah asked.

"He'll be along soon enough. He left us last night to take care of some stuff. He said he'll be back soon. Probably by tomorrow," Kol said.

"So what exactly is our brother planning?" Elijah asked.

"If he wanted you to know, he would've told you," Kol said with a grin. He threw his bag over his shoulder and went up to his room.

Rebekah and Elijah exchanged glances. "I'll talk to Willow," Rebekah said, understanding her brother's look.

"Good. Things could get very ugly," Elijah said warily.

****** _The Summers******_

Buffy was sitting on the couch bickering with Alaric over the television programming. "I can't believe you don't like _Animal Planet_! What kind of teacher are you?" Buffy asked scandalized.

"I have a high tolerance for boredom, but that show puts me to sleep," he said as he grabbed the remote from her and clicked it to an episode of the _A Team._

"This show was made like twenty years ago!" Buffy exclaimed. She tried to grab the remote from him, and he held it above her hand.

"No fair using your superior height!" she complained with a pout.

"Hey, it's the only advantage I have with you!" he said, laughing.

Xander came into the room. "Cool the _A Team_! I love Mr. T!" he said, sitting down on Buffy's other side.

"See! Xander agrees!" Alaric said with a smirk.

"Xander also used to ride around on a skateboard," Buffy said with a sneer.

"Skateboards were cool!" Xander protested.

"No, they weren't!" Buffy and Alaric said at the same time. Then they grinned at each other.

The doorbell rang. No one moved. It rang again. "Xander, go answer the door," Buffy ordered.

"Why? I don't live here!" Xander protested.

"Xander!" Buffy said, glaring at him.

"Fine! One day I'm going to get a life of my own!" he informed her in a huff as he got up to go to the door.

"He's a funny guy," Alaric said laughingly.

"So he tells me," Buffy said smiling.

"Look who's here. Willow's special friend who can snap my neck like a twig!" Xander said.

Rebekah looked startled at his words, but when he grinned at her, she realized he was joking. "You're an odd man," she remarked.

"So I've been told!" Xander said. He walked to the bottom of the stairs and yelled, "Willow! You've got company!" He looked at Rebekah. "She's up there doing magic with Bonnie. I'm sure that's all they're doing. Bonnie's a bit on the young side."

"Xander!" Buffy scolded.

Rebekah looked confused. Then she dismissed the strange friend of Willow's and looked at Buffy. "Elijah suggested I warn you. Kol came back a bit ago with Caroline. Our brother is planning something. Kol said he will return soon. Probably by tomorrow," Rebekah shared.

"What do you think he's planning?" Buffy asked her.

"Elijah says he probably made some hybrids. He was in New York, and there's a wolfpack in Albany," Rebekah shared.

"Hybrids?" Alaric said. "We should get supplies ready."

"Supplies? I'm your guy!" Xander said rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"We should collect some wolf's bane," Alaric said.

Willow came downstairs. She smiled at Rebekah. "Hey, cutie! Glad you made it. Dawn and Bonnie are upstairs waiting," she said. She reached out and grabbed Rebekah's hand to pull her upstairs.

"Wait a sec, Will," Buffy said. "Rebekah said Klaus will probably be back tomorrow with his hybrids. We need to get ready."

"I'm ready. I haven't quite figured out how to permanently contain him without killing him, but I have some things that I know will slow him down," Willow said.

"Okay, I'll head over to Stefan's and tell Giles and the girls. You two work on weapon detail," Buffy said to Alaric. She kissed him and took off.

"She never wastes time, does she?" Alaric observed with a rueful grin.

"No," Xander said, shaking his head.

"Come on," Willow told Rebekah, tugging on her hand.

Bonnie and Dawn were sitting on the floor of Willow's bedroom. Willow told Rebekah where to sit and then sat down a few feet from her.

"You do magic?" Rebekah asked Dawn in surprise.

"I wish! I can't even float a pencil! You'd think since I was magically created I've have some powers, but I don't. However, I'm good for channeling," Dawn said.

"Magically created?" Rebekah asked in surprise.

"Remember we told you she used to be a key to a hell dimension? She was fashioned by monks as Buffy's sister about four years ago," Willow reminded her.

"I guess. That's really unbelievable," Rebekah said doubtfully.

"Our life tends to be that," Dawn said, grinning.

"They altered our memories. She has memories as if she was raised with Buffy. So do we," Willow said.

"Vampires can't do magic," Bonnie said, glancing at Willow.

"That's what I told her," Rebekah said.

"There's more than one way to do magic. She may not be able to do it the way you do, but if it's in her blood line, I bet I can channel magic through her or get her to access what's naturally inside her," Willow said excitedly. She pulled out the ring.

"Is that Alaric's?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. I sense there's something not quite right about the ring. I wish I knew its history," Willow said.

"You should ask Elena for the Gilbert journals. Her ancestor who made that kept a lot of journals. The family has a bunch," Bonnie shared.

"That would be awesome!" Willow said.

There was a knock on the door and Caroline poked her head in. "Hey guys!" she said with a wave.

"You're back!" Dawn said, getting up to give her a hug. "When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago. I unpacked and took a nap," Caroline said.

"I can't believe you went off with that psychotic killer and his deranged brother!" Bonnie said with disapproval.

"Yeah, well, I can't believe you both stood there and let Damon kill Tyler," Caroline said sourly.

"It happened too fast," Willow said. "We didn't know what he was planning."

"So I want to hear all about your trip!" Dawn said excitedly.

"Dawnie, would you mind going to your room? Sorry, Caroline, we're trying to find out some stuff about Alaric's ring. Maybe I can duplicate it for all our human friends. If I find out it's safe," Willow said.

"That'd be great! You could make one for Matt," Caroline said.

"And Xander. He's already lost an eye," Dawn said. "It probably wouldn't work on me since I was made by magic."

"Probably not," Bonnie agreed. "It won't on Elena since she's the doppelganger."

"Let's go to my room," Dawn said, grabbing Caroline's hand.

Dawn pulled her into her room and on her bed. "Okay, so was New York awesome? Did you see a show? How about the pizza? Did you think it was it as good as they say?" Dawn asked excitedly. "Willow took me there at the beginning of the summer, and I loved it!"

"Yes, it was awesome. Yes, I saw a show, and we went to the opera, and the pizza was the best!" Caroline said happily. "I've never been so glad to be a vampire before. We saw so much, and I never got tired!"

"Did you bring me a souvenir?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, I got everyone t-shirts, but I ran out off and left them at home," Caroline said sheepishly. "We stayed at this most incredible hotel. Klaus does everything in style."

"So what's he like?" Dawn asked curiously.

"He's very charming. His brother Kol hit on me the entire time, but I never took him seriously," Caroline shared.

"Two hot immortals at your beck and call! I'd be jealous if Matt hadn't finally noticed me," Dawn said happily.

"So are you guys going out tonight?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, in a few hours," Dawn said.

"We have to totally pick out an outfit," Caroline said eagerly.

"I'm really glad you're back. Bonnie's always doing the magics with Will, and Elena is upset that Damon left town without saying goodbye. Buffy is caught up with Mr. Saltzman. I missed you," Dawn said.

Caroline squeezed her hand and smiled. It was nice to have a friend without all the history and baggage. "You and I will totally have to take a trip to New York City after graduation," Caroline said. "They have some awesome night clubs."

"Totally! Willow didn't take me to any of those!" Dawn said with a smile. "So what should I wear tonight?"

"Matt won't take you any place fancy because he never has much money, so I'd wear a sexy top but not too dressy," Caroline advised.

"I'll raid Buffy's closet. She's got all the slutty clothes," Dawn said with a grin.

Caroline laughed. "My dad's going to kill me when he gets my credit card bill, but I don't care. It was fun, and I wasn't going to let Klaus buy everything," Caroline said. "Besides, he was really mean when he found out I was a vamp."

"So do you really like him?" Dawn asked.

"Who? Klaus?"

"Yes," Dawn asked.

Caroline hesitated, unsure.

"It's okay if you do. My sister was hooking up with Spike back when he didn't have a soul. He had this computer chip in his head that wouldn't let him hurt anyone, but he was still a demon. His love for Buffy changed him. He fought to get his soul back because he was a monster and knew she would never love him back," Dawn shared. "Maybe you can, like, I don't know. Tame him or something."

Caroline laughed. "Tame Klaus? Not going to happen! He's determined to battle with your sister. He may kill her," Caroline said, sobering up.

"She's not easy to kill. She has Faith and Willow and 20 more slayers," Dawn said. "If he did kill her, it'd be the last thing he ever did because Willow would go postal. You don't want to see her lose her cool. It's the scariest thing you'll ever see."

"I have a bad feeling, Dawn. If Klaus dies or one of his siblings, I could die. I don't want to die. There's so much I want to see and do," Caroline said worriedly.

"You won't. I'll talk to Buffy," Dawn assured her.

"Okay, so let's talk about something more fun. I want a play by play of your date last night!" Caroline said.

"Well..." Dawn said and began her tale.

****** _Back in L.A.******_

Damon dodged a blow from whatever beasty this was. Some type of demon. He didn't try to keep them straight. Spike let out a war cry and jumped on the thing's back.

"I got him!" Spike yelled. Then he went flying.

Illyria knocked the thing to the ground while Angel swung his ax blade. Its head went rolling.

"That was one ugly dude!" Damon exclaimed.

"Smelly, too!" Spike said with a grimace.

"You guys get rid of the body," Angel ordered. He turned and walked away. Illyria followed him.

"Why does he do that?" Damon asked in annoyance.

"Treat us like his lackeys? He can't help it. He was always morose before he started getting visions. Now he's worse," Spike said with a shrug.

"Man, I thought my brother was a drag. How can you stand it?" Damon asked.

"He's my sire. He taught me everything I know about killing. Angelus was one bad son of a bitch. Then he got all soulful. He's got a lot to atone for," Spike said. "There's this prophecy he used to believe that one day he'd be rewarded with his humanity. But now it's probably hogwash. We realized we can't focus on it or fight about it."

"You'd want to be human again?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Yeah, wouldn't you?" Spike asked.

"I used to want it more than anything. But I never want to be that weak again. I love being a vampire," Damon said with a grin.

"The endless hunger? The desire to kill that never goes away? Never getting to have a family. I can think of better things," Spike said.

"I guess having that demon inside probably blows, but I just have my own personal demons. I've gotten to know them quite well," Damon said.

"What about love? Aren't you in love with a human girl? She's going to grow old and die while you stay young. I hate thinking of the day Buffy won't be alive," Spike said.

"I try not to think that far into the future. You never know what's going to happen," Damon said. He bent down and moved a sewage cover. "Why don't we drop the body down here?"

Spike shrugged. "Works for me!" he said with a grin.

The two men dragged the dead demon and tried to fit him down the hole. "He won't fit," Damon said with a frown.

"Guess we'll have to make him!" Spike said with a wicked grin.

Damon laughed as Spike started hacking off body parts with relish. The guy may have a soul, but he craved violence. Damon was starting to really get off on all the fighting. He got to feed his predatory nature and not feel guilty about it afterward. He was learning how to survive in ways he had never thought he'd need to know. Maybe there was something to this redemption thing. Maybe Stefan wouldn't be so morose if he had something to fight for beside keeping Elena safe.

When they got back home, Damon pulled out his phone to call his brother.

"Brother. Are you learning how to be a good little vamp?" Stefan asked in way of greeting.

"I'm learning how to be a more efficient killer," Damon replied dryly.

"Really?" Stefan asked in surprise.

"Seriously. These vampires here really do turn to dust. We killed this wicked demon thing earlier. It was a monster. It took all four of us to beat it," Damon said.

"Sounds like you're having more fun than me," Stefan said.

"What? That hot little slayer still giving you the cold shoulder?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"She said I had to turn my emotions back on," Stefan said. "I find her a tad hypocritical. One of the slayers staying here told me she busted out of a jail a year ago to help Buffy battle the First."

"She was in jail? What for?" Damon asked curiously.

"Murder. She went on a killing spree. And tried to kill Buffy. She was pretty dark for a while, so I don't see why she thinks she can be judging me," Stefan said crossly.

"Maybe she's, like, been there, done that, and doesn't want to repeat," Damon pointed out. "How's things there otherwise?"

"Caroline went away to New York all week with Klaus and his brother. She's back now and says Klaus is planning his move very soon," Stefan said.

"Do you need me to come?" Damon asked.

"Nah. There's like slayers everywhere I turn. They gotta be good for something. Maybe if some of them die, I won't be tripping over them all the time," Stefan said with a snicker. Then he winced when he realized Faith was standing there listening. She threw him a dirty look and walked out of the room. "Shit!"

"What?" Damon asked.

"Faith just walked in and heard my comment. I gotta go," Stefan said.

"Stefan, maybe you should listen to her. There's more than one way to deal with the guilt. Not caring about anyone or anything isn't much fun," Damon said.

"Speak for yourself," Stefan said. "Later." He disconnected before Damon could say more.

Spike came in the room and saw Damon's dark look. "What's wrong?" Spike asked.

"Things are going to go down soon back home. Klaus is assembling his hybrids to challenge the slayers," Damon shared. "I don't like not being there."

"Well, I've seen Buffy defeat many a foe with just her, Xander, Willow, and Giles. Even before Willow became so strong, so I wouldn't worry too much. She can handle the original hybrid," Spike told him.

"I hope so," Damon said in concern. "I really do."

***** _The Next Day*****_

Caroline woke up to the ringing of her cell phone. She reached over to answer it without looking at the I.D.

"Hello," she said groggily.

"Caroline? It's Dawn. Did I wake you?"

"Yes. What time is it?" Caroline asked as she sat up in her bed.

"It's noon. I can't believe you're still asleep! What time did you go to bed?" Dawn asked. "I would've called you last night if I had known you were still up."

"I was up late talking to Mom. It's been a long time since she and I have talked like that. She just found out I was a vampire a few months ago. I showed her all my pictures from New York," Caroline said.

"You totally have to show them to me! I can come over. I'll bring us lunch. I wanna tell you about my date with Matt," Dawn said happily.

"Sure. Come on over, and I'll give you the souvenir I forgot when I saw you yesterday. Then we'll look at the pictures. I'll hop in the shower," Caroline said.

She got up and went to the fridge for some blood. She kept them in the fruit drawer, so her mom didn't have to be grossed out every time she opened the fridge. Caroline liked that she could be open now about her nature. It made her home feel like home again. Of course, she still didn't drink in front of her mother. She read the note her mom left on the fridge. _Won't be home for dinner. Call you later. Love, Mom_

These kinds of notes used to really upset her. Her mom was never around. Now, though, she understood why her mom was so passionate about keeping the town safe. Her mother had known about the vampire threat her entire life. Although Liz had to adjust her thinking a bit, they both knew threats were real. Klaus was already determined to cause problems. Caroline hoped no one would die. She walked over to the front door and unlocked it in case Dawn showed up while she was in the shower.

Twenty minutes later she was getting out of the shower when she heard her doorbell ring. She quickly wrapped her towel around her and poked her head out her bedroom door. "Come on in!" she yelled loudly. She dried off and stepped into her underwear. There was a knock at her bedroom door. "Come on in. I'm almost ready," Caroline said as she finished putting on her bra.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," a voice said that wasn't Dawn.

Caroline looked up quickly and saw Klaus standing there grinning at her. She quickly grabbed her shirt and put it up to her chest. "What are you doing here? I thought you were Dawn!" Caroline said, flushing in embarrassment.

"I seem to always find you ill prepared for company," Klaus observed in amusement. "Don't you know that you shouldn't tell people to come in if you aren't dressed for company?"

"I didn't know it was you! Turn around!" Caroline ordered crossly.

Klaus laughed and complied. Caroline threw on her clothes. When she was finally, dressed she called out, "Okay. I'm dressed."

Klaus turned and gave her a thorough perusal. "I liked you better in the towel you were wearing in New York or without anything but your unmentionables!" he said, flashing his dimple at her.

Caroline worked hard to keep that way he made her feel off her face. "Why are you here?" she said, ignoring his comment.

"Because I wanted to ask you something," Klaus said.

"What?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Promise me that you'll stay home today. I don't want you getting hurt in the battle between me and the slayers," Klaus said.

"Well, I don't plan on being involved, so you don't have to worry," Caroline said.

Her doorbell rang. "That must be Dawn," Caroline said.

Klaus followed her to the door. It was Dawn. She had a pizza in her hand.

"I got pepperoni. Is that okay?" Dawn asked. She paused when she saw Klaus.

"Dawn, Klaus was just leaving," Caroline said quickly.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Klaus said, smiling.

Dawn stepped inside and eyed the original hybrid warily. "I'm Dawn," she said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Klaus," he said, smiling at her.

Dawn didn't know what to think. The guy didn't seem evil. In fact, he was charming and obviously liked Caroline.

"So are you back in town to try and kill my sister?" Dawn asked him pointedly.

"You're a bold one," Klaus said.

"You won't win, you know. She's faced worse things than you and won," Dawn said.

"I always relish a challenge," Klaus said easily.

"Dawn, why don't you take the pizza into the kitchen," Caroline said. "I'll be right there."

Dawn nodded and walked toward the kitchen.

"You don't have to do this, Klaus," Caroline said.

"I have never back down from a worthy opponent. The two slayers and their witch are more than worthy," Klaus said.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Caroline said with a frown.

Klaus was surprised by her sincerity. "It's been a long time since anyone has cared about my welfare," Klaus said. He reached out and took her hand. "I'll be fine." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Remember your promise," Caroline said.

"None of your human friends will be hurt. I hope they'll stay away," Klaus said. Klaus walked out her front door. She watched him walk away, knowing he was in for a surprise. She wanted to warn him, but she knew she couldn't. He had brought this on himself.

She walked into the kitchen. Dawn was putting slices on two plates. "So why was Klaus here?" Dawn asked.

"He wanted me to promise not to get involved in the fighting with your sister," Caroline said.

"He must really like you," Dawn said. "I don't get it. He can't be all evil or he wouldn't be able to care so much. He has a soul. Why is he so determined to fight?"

"He doesn't know how to back down from a challenge," Caroline said. "He's been alive a thousand years, and he doesn't know how to accept defeat. Your sister is someone he considers worth his time, but he's still planning on destroying her."

"Did you tell him about all the slayers we have in town?" Dawn asked.

"No. I just warned him that the slayers were tougher than he thought. I figured it wasn't my place to spoil the surprise," Caroline said.

"I know hybrids are tougher than regular vampires, but we have Willow. I just hope Rebekah isn't involved. Willow really likes her," Dawn said.

Caroline sighed. "It's a mess. One we can't do anything about, so why don't you tell me all about your date last night? Where did Matt take you?"

"He planned a picnic at the lake. It was really great. He had all the food and everything. We watched the sun set," Dawn said with a dreamy sigh.

"Okay, I want to hear everything!" Caroline said eagerly. She was determined to not worry about Klaus and Kol. There was nothing to do but wait.

****** _A few hours later*******_

Stefan went outside and watched Faith as she took on three of the other slayers. The woman was amazing to watch. It was clear that she had more skills than the younger girls. Buffy watched from the side lines. Rick, Giles, and Xander were also watching from the sidelines.

"Okay, let's give the boys a chance," Buffy called out. She turned to Rick and Xander. "You guys up for it?"

"You want us to fight each other?" Xander asked.

"No, I want you two to work together against Faith," Buffy said.

"Be gentle!" Xander said.

"I don't want to break up the party, but Klaus called me," Stefan said. "He's waiting at our old place. It's several miles outside the town limits. Our plantation burned to the ground a long time ago."

"Well, I guess we should go now. I don't like fighting in the dark," Buffy said. "We need every advantage we can get."

"Yes, let's do this," Faith said eagerly.

"What about his siblings? If he has hybrids and all his siblings fight, we may not be able to beat him," Giles pointed out.

"You do understand that you can't kill any of the hybrids with a stake to the heart. You have to remove their hearts," Stefan said.

"Or their heads," Alaric added.

"Are you going to help us?" Faith asked Stefan.

"I don't want to see you killed, so I'll come and watch your very delectable backside," Stefan said with a grin.

"Let's hope Elijah and Rebekah don't join the fight," Buffy said. "But I figure Kol will. I think Willow can use the same spell she used last time to immobilize him. We're not sure which one of them sired your bloodline, so we don't want to accidentally kill one of them like I did Finn."

"Willow and Bonnie are inside. I'll go tell them," Giles said.

"Rick, go get your ring back from Bonnie. She doesn't think you should wear it because there will be some side effects from it, but I don't want you to get yourself killed," Buffy said.

"He can stay in the back with Giles and me. We made some awesome weapons that are filled with wolf's bane. It should cause some pain to the hybrids," Xander said proudly.

"We'll use the crossbows, and fight from a distance," Alaric said.

"Ladies, it's time to fight," Buffy told the slayers.

They packed up their weapons and got into various cars. They planned on having Buffy, Faith, Stefan, Willow, and Buffy confront Klaus first to see what he had planned. Then Giles, Xander, and Rick would come out with the rest of the slayers.

They parked where Stefan told them to and got out of the car. "Wait by the line of trees. Bonnie, you can wait for Willow to tell you to come and lead the girls," Buffy told her.

"Okay," Bonnie said.

"Remember, we have to immobilize Kol first. If Rebekah and Elijah join their brother, we'll do the same to them. Taking them out of the fight will be the best way to handle them," Buffy said.

"Let's go," Faith said impatiently.

They followed Stefan, who led them to a clearing beyond the trees.

"Stefan, are you sure you want to be fighting against me?" Klaus called out when he spotted them.

"No, I don't, so why don't you just go home and forget about all this?" Stefan suggested.

"But I brought some new friends. They've come all this way. Surely, you don't expect me to let them leave without some excitement," Klaus said. He waved his hand and a dozen of his hybrids came into view.

"You sure you want to do this?" Buffy asked. "Because Faith and I aren't the only slayers in town. Willow used the magic from my scythe and changed the world. I have hundreds of slayers."

Willow used telepathy to call the slayers and Bonnie forward. The girls stepped into view.

Klaus's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the number of girls with the witch.

"I only had twenty come join us, but I have access to many, many more. We will kill every hybrid you make," Buffy said firmly.

Klaus felt a surge of rage at the slayer's words. No one was going to take his hybrids from him. He didn't care how many slayers she had under her command. He would kill them all.

He moved in a blur and broke the neck of one on the edge of the tree line. The girl fell down without a word. Buffy and Faith charged him as the hybrids moved forward to battle the slayers.

Stefan ripped out the heart of one who attacked him. He wasn't overly interested in fighting the slayers' battle. Klaus had a dozen hybrids fighting. Eleven now that Stefan had killed one. The girls were determined, though. He watched Alaric toss a grenade at one who got too close. The wolf's bane caused the hybrid to scream out in pain. Willow had joined hands with Bonnie and the two were fighting off one hybrid. Stefan watched it all with dispassionate eyes. However, a hybrid jumped Faith from behind and bit her. Faith threw him off and was knocked down by another hybrid. Stefan moved to pull the hybrid off her. He ripped its heart out and turned back to her. The other hybrid broke Faith's arm. Her scream of pain brought a rush of emotion in Stefan. He felt rage and concern. In a blur, he ran to the hybrid and ripped off its head.

Faith looked up from the ground in dismay. Stefan was covered in blood, yet he looked down at her with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. He bit his wrist. "Here. Drink my blood, and it will heal you."

"No! That's insane!" Faith said, turning her head away.

"You can't fight with a broken arm," Stefan told her. He put his wrist to her mouth, forcing some of his blood inside her.

She pushed it away and wiped her mouth. "That is so gross!" she complained. However, she could feel her bones knitting back together.

A loud cry caused her to turn her head. Two witches had appeared and had immobilized Vi. A hybrid came up and ripped out her heart. "No!" Faith yelled. She jumped to her feet. "Help me!" she ordered Stefan.

Stefan looked around and saw young girls engaged in battle with the hybrids. Some were hurt. Others were fiercely fighting. Klaus was fighting Buffy, who seemed to be holding her own. He watched their one-eyed friend shooting his crossbow at a hybrid that was fighting Willow. Suddenly, Stefan was filled once again with emotion and knew he couldn't sit by and watch these girls die. Stefan decided he should help Bonnie, so he charged forward and snapped the neck of the male witch. Then he was brought to his knees by the remaining witch as his brain felt like it was going to explode.

"Will! Do something!" Faith ordered as she watched Stefan fall to his knees in agony.

Willow chanted in Latin and white lightening came from her hands and threw the witch several feet away.

Klaus was growing tired of fighting the slayer. She was relentless and showed no signs of tiring. He watched his two witches get killed by Stefan and the redheaded witch. His anger grew. "I'm getting bored," he said to Buffy. Then he hit her hard and moved away from the battle. Half his hybrids had been killed. At least four of the slayers were dead, but Klaus knew they were outmatched. He had to get the witch out of commission.

"Are you ready to give up?" Buffy called out to Klaus.

"I found an old friend of yours that I thought you'd like to see again," Klaus said with a satisfied grin.

"Kol! Bring our guest!" he called out.

Faith and Willow moved to stand next to Buffy, ready for whatever new thing Klaus had planned. However, they all were stunned immobile when they saw who Kol had.

"Oz!" Willow cried. She looked in a panic to Buffy. "He has Oz!"

"You let Damon take my first hybrid. I thought it fitting that someone you care about take Tyler's place," Klaus said as Oz was brought to him. His hands were tied in front of him. He looked confused but unafraid. He looked like Oz. Calm and unflappable.

"Will?" Oz said, a question in his voice. Kol pushed him toward Klaus.

"Oz is not a werewolf like Tyler was. He was bit by one. He can't be a hybrid!" Buffy called out. The slayers and other hybrids paused in their fighting to watch the drama unfold. She saw Rebekah and Elijah step out of the trees. Dawn and Caroline a step behind them. She turned back to Klaus. "You will kill him."

"That's the plan," Klaus said with a smirk. Then he reached out and broke Oz's neck.

***** _To Be Continued******_


	30. Taming the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. The final chapter in this story. It's a long one and I hope the best one yet!

_******Not Where We Left Off*******_

Dawn had spent the afternoon at Caroline's. She had to work at five but was too worried about her sister and friends to concentrate. She sent Jeremy a text asking him to cover for her. "Maybe we should go see Rebekah and Elijah. If anyone can stop the blood bath, it has to be Elijah," Dawn told Caroline.

"That's a good point. Of course, they may be with Klaus," Caroline pointed out.

"Well, we won't know unless we go over there," Dawn said.

So they got in Caroline's car and headed to the house the Originals lived in. Rebekah opened the door.

"Hello. Come in," she said. "My brothers aren't here."

"I know. We came to see you and Elijah. Is he here?" Caroline asked.

"I am," Elijah said as he stepped into the room.

"Klaus came to see me earlier to ask me to stay out of the fighting he had planned," Caroline told them.

"Really?" Elijah asked in surprise. "He must care a great deal for you."

"My sister told me to stay with Caroline. She wouldn't tell me where the fighting would be at," Dawn said.

"So you don't know?" Rebekah asked.

"I called Xander. He told me it was at the old Salvatore plantation," Dawn shared.

"I should call my mom. She'll know where it is," Caroline said, getting out her phone.

"I told your brother he would regret taking on my sister, but he didn't seem to believe me," Dawn said.

"Klaus is a stubborn man," Elijah said. He didn't like the position his brother had put him in. He didn't want to engage the slayers. Nor did he want to watch his brothers die.

"Will your sister kill my brothers?" Rebekah asked.

"Not if she can help it. Will has plans to immobilize any of Klaus's siblings. She and Bonnie have been working on something that will contain your brother indefinitely," Dawn said.

Caroline hung up. "My mom told me where they should be. She's going to meet us there. I think she was a little miffed that Giles didn't call her," Caroline said.

"Giles doesn't want her to get hurt," Dawn said.

"He's just a human. He's a watcher not a fighter, but he's still there. My mother is just as capable as he is! More probably," Caroline said loyally.

"Well, let's go. We can stay in the background. Buffy will be pissed if I get hurt," Dawn said.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Elijah assured her.

They got into Caroline's car and went to the location her mom told her to go to. Liz had beat them there and was standing by her open trunk.

"Mom, you really shouldn't be here. You could get killed. Klaus's hybrids won't care that you're my mom," Caroline said worriedly.

Liz pulled some shotguns out of her trunk. "These are loaded with wooden bullets. It may slow them down," Liz said. She handed one to Dawn.

"Cool!" Dawn said excitedly. She listened to Liz's simple instructions on how to use the gun.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on getting too close," Liz said before Caroline could say anything else.

They crept forward and saw the battle well engaged. "I don't see Kol," Rebekah said. Then she heard Klaus call out for him. He appeared with a short, redheaded guy.

"Oh my God! That's Oz! He's a werewolf and Willow's ex. They broke up because he was afraid of hurting her," Dawn shared.

Liz went to Giles. "I see you decided to have fun without me," she said crossly.

"Oh, well, I.." Giles stumbled over an explanation.

"How did they find Oz?" Xander asked. He shot his crossbow at a hybrid that was fighting two slayers nearby. "Yes!" Xander smiled happily.

"What's he going to do with Oz?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Giles said in resignation.

Elijah and Rebekah moved forward, ripping out the hearts of the hybrids in their path. They watched Klaus break the young man's neck.

"Oz!" Willow cried, dropping to her knees.

Buffy turned to her in concern. Xander moved forward to get to Willow.

"Don't worry. He may not stay dead," Klaus said carelessly.

Xander dropped down to Willow's side. "It's okay, Will," he said calmly.

"He killed Oz!" Willow cried, her eyes turning black.

"Will, don't lose control," Buffy said. She threw Faith and Xander a worried look. This could get ugly.

"I take it this fellow meant something to you? And here I thought you fancied my dear sister," Klaus said mockingly.

Willow bowed her head, digging her hands into the ground. She reached out and grabbed Bonnie's hand. When Bonnie collapsed unconscious, it became clear that Willow had drained her of all her magic. She looked up at Klaus, her eyes black as night.

"You will regret that!" she said bitterly.

Xander put her hands on her shoulder. "Will."

Willow flicked her wrist, and he was knocked back.

"You shouldn't have done that," Buffy said to Klaus. "This won't end well for any of us."

Klaus frowned. Their reaction surprised him. They appeared afraid of their friend. When the sky grew dark and thunder rumbled, he looked at the witch with interest.

She rose to her feet, looking very differently. Her red hair was black as were her eyes. "I have only ever loved one man, and you killed him without a thought," Dark Willow said, eying Klaus with malice.

She chanted and stretched her arms out toward one of his hybrids. Lightening went through the hybrid and channeled through the remaining few. She called out a spell and closed her fist and jerked her hand back. Klaus's eyes widened as his hybrids all fell to the ground, their hearts yanked out by invisible hands.

Kol stepped forward. Willow stretched out her hand toward him. "You will suffer for what you did!" Dark Willow told him. Kol screamed as she electrocuted him.

Rebekah was dumbfounded by the change in Willow. Willow had told her about her dark nature; however, Rebekah never dreamed it was like this. "Should we do something?" she asked Elijah.

"It's best if we let the slayer and her friends deal with the witch," Elijah said, eying Willow warily.

Willow chanted, and a green band went around Kol. Unlike the last time, the lightening continued to run through his body. He cried out in agony as he was held suspended.

Rebekah couldn't stay in the background anymore. She went to Willow. "Willow, please stop. This isn't you," she said.

Willow reached out and grabbed her hand. Rebekah gasped and fell to her knees. "Sorry, Bex, but I need your strength. Your brother is going to suffer," she said coldly as she drained Rebekah of her strength. She looked up and knocked Klaus back with a wave of power.

He got to his feet and laughed at her. "Is that all you got?"

Willow kept knocking him down until he was close to the edge of the trees. Vines came out of the ground and wrapped around Klaus. They pulled on his limbs until he was spread eagle style.

"Don't do this, Willow! If you kill him, you may kill Caroline!" Buffy called out.

Buffy's reminder made Stefan suddenly realize how precarious his own life was, and he tried to charge Willow. She had some kind of force field around her. He bounced off it and hit the ground hard. He looked at Faith. "What will she do?" he asked.

"You don't want to know," Faith said grimly.

"I want to find out exactly how immortal he is," Dark Willow said with a cold grin. Klaus fought and broke one of the wood restraints. She hit him with lightening and threw the same green band around him that was holding Kol.

Klaus's eyes widened as he felt real fear for the first time. He couldn't move. No matter how he tried, the witch had him completely frozen. He had never felt so powerless or vulnerable.

"You know I filleted a man once just like this. He died too quickly, though. I hope you'll last longer," Dark Willow said. She stripped Klaus of his clothes with a wave of her hand. "What do you think, Buffy? Should we rip off his arms or his skin first? I've always wondered if limbs would regenerate in vampires."

"Will, you don't want to do this," Buffy said.

"Oh, but I do. This man thinks he is invincible. He thinks he can just drag Oz into his twisted plans. Oz is the most gentle man I have ever known. He doesn't even hurt anyone during a full moon. Now he's dead," Dark Willow said. "I think I'll start with his eyes. Let's see if they mock me again." Klaus's screams echoed loudly as she pulled his eyes out with her magic. They floated to her hands. "How could such pretty eyes belong to such an evil man?" She closed her fist, and they turned to dust.

Elijah was horrified. He turned to Buffy. "You need to stop her!" Elijah said.

"You better pray Oz wakes up," Buffy said. "The last time she was like this she nearly killed me and almost destroyed the world."

Xander went over to stand in front of Klaus. "Will, this is getting a bit much. Why don't you dial it back some, huh?" Xander suggested.

"Go away, Xander." Again, Willow flicked her hand and knocked Xander out of her way. "I'm going to have some fun with hybrid boy. He's going to learn some manners. I don't plan on killing him, so you can relax," Dark Willow with a smirk. She began peeling back Klaus's skin.

"She's out of her mind!" Caroline exclaimed, horrified by what she was seeing.

"Maybe Oz will wake up. It's the only thing that will stop her," Dawn said.

"He will need Elena's blood if he does," Caroline said. She looked at Elijah.

He nodded. "I will go to her and get some of her blood," he said.

"Don't bring her here or she could get drained," Caroline told him before he ran off.

"Willow, this is getting out of hand," Xander said, grimacing at the skinless hybrid. His skin was already growing back as were his eyes. Xander got once again to his feet and faced Willow.

"This is fun! Look, he's already healing!" Dark Willow said with a chuckle.

"Will, stop!" Xander ordered. He warily took a step toward her.

"If you don't like it, don't watch," Dark Willow said. "I wonder how long it will take him to grow back a limb?"

"Will, you're better than this," Buffy said, stepping closer.

Willow knocked her back. "Don't even try it, Buffy. I know you better than you know yourself. Someone needs to teach this vampire he can't do whatever he wants. That there are consequences," Dark Willow said.

"Not like this, Will," Buffy said, getting to her feet. She turned to Giles. "Take the girls back. They don't need to be here. All the hybrids are dead." He nodded and all the slayers, but Faith turned to leave. They picked up their fallen sisters as they left.

Willow must have grown bored with tearing off Klaus's skin because once it grew back she began breaking his bones. She started with his fingers. "Not so tough now, are we?" Dark Willow said with a smirk. "Bad little hybrid needs to learn some manners. You don't go killing people I care about."

"He's not dead," Klaus gasped through the pain. "He'll wake up a hybrid."

"That's if he doesn't go insane," Dark Willow said grimly. "I don't want him to be a vampire! He's better than that! He's better than you!" She snapped his arm at the elbow.

"I'm going to be sick," Caroline said, turning away. She looked at Kol, who was obviously in agony. She looked down at Oz. He moved slightly, so Caroline moved toward him.

He woke up and looked at Caroline. His eyes were black. "What happened? What's going on?" he croaked.

"You're in transition. You were bit by a hybrid. It's going to be okay," Caroline said softly. Buffy ran and kneeled next to them.

"Oz, are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"I feel strange. Something's not right," Oz said. He gasped and bent over.

"He's alive!" Klaus called out, detecting Oz's movements.

Willow glanced over and saw Oz stir. "It doesn't change what you did. He'll never be the same. You deserve to suffer!" Dark Willow exclaimed angrily. She hit him with lightening and then ripped off all his skin all at once. His screams were horrible to hear, but Dark Willow only chuckled gleefully, enjoying his suffering.

"Stop it! Stop it! You can't do this!" Caroline yelled, getting to her feet. No one deserved such torment—not even Klaus.

"Sure, I can. I just did," Dark Willow said with smug satisfaction.

"Willow, torture isn't what we do!" Xander said.

"Maybe we should. Some never learn unless they're punished. Killing is too easy," Dark Willow said. She paused and watched with interest as Klaus's skin began to re-form. "This is wicked cool! He really is immortal."

"Please, don't do this. No one deserves this," Caroline begged, her eyes filling with tears as she watched Klaus's torment. She looked at Kol and saw that he'd passed out finally from the pain.

Elijah appeared holding a small container. "You must drink this if you want to live," he said to Oz. He poured it down Oz's throat.

Oz gagged and swallowed some of the blood. He didn't understand what was happening, but he realized that the blood wasn't as abhorrent as it should be. "What did he do to me?" he asked the man with the kind eyes.

"He has turned you into what he is. A werewolf and a vampire. A true hybrid," Elijah answered solemnly.

"Oz, you must stop Willow. She's out of control, and she won't listen to us," Buffy urged. She held out her hand and helped him stand.

He looked and saw the man who had broken his neck being tortured by Willow. "Will, I'm okay," he said as he stepped toward her.

Willow glanced at him and faltered. "He turned you into a monster. He needs to suffer," Dark Willow said.

"Your new look is kind of scary," Oz said with a wry grin.

Willow gazed at him and the black receded from her eyes. "Are you really okay?" she asked. He stepped in front of her.

"See for yourself," he said.

Willow reached out and put her hand on his face. Her eyes filled with tears. "He killed you," she said sorrowfully.

"I'm not dead. I guess I'm a vampire now, though. But I don't feel evil," Oz said in confusion.

"You're not. You could never be," she said. She reached out and hugged Oz. Her hair turned back to red. Kol and Klaus both fell to the ground. Caroline went to Kol, who had regained consciousness. She whispered something to him. He nodded and ran off.

Klaus felt his bones begin to knit back together. He looked at the witch with hatred and fear. "Kill her!" he ordered to Oz.

Oz looked at the man who had used him to hurt Willow. A part of him felt a compulsion to obey the man's command. However, he looked at Willow and the desire faded. "I missed you," he said. Then he kissed her.

Klaus couldn't believe it. His one remaining hybrid refused to obey him. Instead of killing the witch, he was kissing her!

"You've lost, Klaus. Give it up!" Buffy said, facing him.

"Oz was never normal before he became a werewolf. He won't be your puppet," Xander said with a grin.

"Brother, we must not fight with the slayers," Elijah said, stepping toward his brother. "They do good in this world."

"Willow can contain you without killing you. If you want to live, you can't make any more hybrids," Buffy said. "Oz will be your last."

Klaus hated being forced into anything. He looked down in surprise at the hand that held his. "Nik, please don't fight anymore," Caroline begged. She was crying for him.

Hearing her use his name stirred something inside him. "You cannot expect me to just walk away," he told her.

"Please, I don't want you to be hurt anymore," she said, her fear palpable. She wiped her tears.

Klaus couldn't remember the last time anyone cried for him. His sister got to her feet and gave him a beseeching glance. "Let's go home, Nik," Rebekah said. She could hardly look at Willow. Did her brother really deserve all that? Willow was far from the sweet, kind woman she thought her to be.

Willow pulled away from Oz and looked at Klaus, taking a step toward him. "If you hurt Oz in any way, I will kill you," she warned.

"I sired Katerina's line. If you kill me, you will kill the Salvatores and sweet Caroline," Klaus said.

"It will be _you_ that kill them if you hurt Oz. You want Caroline to live then you better not hurt Oz," Willow said coldly.

"Your precious Oz is a vampire now. If I die, he will, too," Klaus informed her.

"There are things worse than death," Willow said with a glare.

Caroline threw Willow a dark look. She tugged on Klaus's hand. "Let's go," she said to him.

Klaus hated to admit defeat, but he knew he couldn't defeat the witch. He turned and let Caroline lead him away.

Elijah turned to Rebekah. "Rebekah, come," he said, holding out his hand. Rebekah looked at Willow who was talking to her ex. She frowned but followed her brother.

"Oz, I'm so sorry," Willow told him. "I never dreamed he'd go after you. Where were you?"

"I was in New York City. I found a new band. Had the wolf thing under control. Things were good. Then some guy came up to me. I think he was a witch of some kind. I got a searing pain in my head and then the next thing I knew I was somewhere else," Oz said.

"We have a lot to explain. Let's go to our house," Buffy said.

Liz watched the scene from the background, her presence unnoticed. She looked at Rick, who had stayed behind when Giles left. "That girl is seriously dangerous," Liz said with a worried frown.

"I guess we should be glad she's on our side," Alaric said.

"I sort of thought they were exaggerating about Willow. She's so sweet," Stefan said in bemusement.

"It's a good thing Damon wasn't here. I'm sure he would've found a way to make things worse," Alaric said with a grin.

"Do you think Klaus will retaliate?" Liz asked in concern. "She really hurt him."

"He'd be stupid to," Alaric said.

"Klaus is anything but stupid," Stefan said. "I think we can relax for now."

Alaric looked at him closely. "Is that emotion I see in your eyes? Did the fear of dying bring you back, or was it Faith getting hurt?" Alaric asked with a smirk.

"Maybe I just missed you," Stefan said, slapping him on the back. "Let's get out of here."

"We gotta get rid of the bodies," Liz said.

The men sighed. "How about a nice bon fire?" Stefan suggested.

Alaric shrugged. "Works for me," he said. They began gathering the bodies.

****** _At the Salvatores*******_

Stefan returned to a house of mourning since four of the slayers had been killed. He found himself feeling sorrow for their loss. Then he realized he really had let his emotions back in. When he saw Faith trying to console one of the girls, he felt a rush of emotion mixed with desire. He walked up to her.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

Faith looked surprised at his offer. "Yeah, could you go by a funeral home and get some coffins? We have to send the bodies back to various places for burial. They have families that will want to bury them," Faith said. "Xander, go with Stefan. You'll have to rent a van or something."

"I'll take care of the details," Stefan said.

"I need to go check on Will," Xander said.

"This won't take long," Stefan said.

Xander nodded and followed him out. "You know I thought my dark nature was bad until I saw Willow enjoy the torture of another living creature," Stefan said to Xander as they got into his car.

"Yeah, she has to learn balance. She does well until something truly awful happens. When her girlfriend Tara was killed by a bullet meant for Buffy, she went off like that. She healed Buffy and then absorbed more dark magics until she was completely out of her mind. She almost killed Giles and Buffy. Then she killed Warren, the guy who shot Tara and Buffy," Xander said.

"How did you stop her?" Stefan asked.

"I finally had some use. I got through to her. We've been best friends since kindergarten. I reminded her of that and that she loved me. As you saw when she faced Oz, she can't hold onto her rage when faced with someone she loves," Xander said. "The dark magic is always fueled by her rage."

"But she's close to Buffy, isn't she?" Stefan asked, trying to understand.

"Yes, but Dark Willow sees Buffy as a challenger, so Buffy never can get through to her when she's like that," Xander explained.

"I guess none of us are good all the time," Stefan said thoughtfully.

"Speak for yourself. I am!" Xander said with a smirk. "Faith, not so much, but Buffy is. If Buffy hadn't loved Angel and saw him turn into Angelus, she may be less forgiving. But she understands the darkness that drives some."

Stefan realized he had a lot to think about. Maybe he could learn to find some balance in his own life.

******* _Willow and Buffy's Place********_

Willow was in her right mind and couldn't stop crying. Buffy and Dawn were doing their best to console her. Bonnie was in the corner of the living room explaining to Elena what had happened. Oz was saying nothing as was his nature. He simply sat on her other side holding her hand while Dawn was kneeling in front of her.

"I am horrible! I enjoyed torturing that man! What is wrong with me?" she asked tearfully.

"Well, he was really arrogant," Dawn said. "Some men only understand a show of force, right?"

Oz was trying to control the urges he was feeling. He could hear the heartbeat of everyone in the room. It was disconcerting. He looked across the room to Giles, who was talking to a man Oz had never seen before. Although they were whispering, Oz could hear every word they were saying. It was an odd realization.

"We need to get him some blood. We don't want him losing control and hurting anyone," the man was telling Giles.

"Good point. Go to Stefan's. I'm sure he'll give you some," Giles said. The man nodded and left.

Oz realized that they were concerned about him hurting someone. That was strange because he felt like himself but more. He turned to Willow—his Willow, the only women he had ever loved. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. He knew that she'd had a rough few years since he'd left. No one probably knew that she emailed him all the time. He didn't stay plugged in like she did, but he had kept in touch with her. Wherever he traveled, he found a way to get to his email. She was his lifeline.

"Will," he said softly as he put his hand on her cheek. "That's enough crying. I don't like to see you cry."

Willow smiled and put her forehead against his. "I have missed you so much. Why did you stay gone so long?"

"It was never the right time," Oz said simply. He looked at Buffy and Dawn. "I'm sorry about your mom."

They looked surprised that he knew. "I've been emailing Oz. He's like my Dear Diary," Willow said with a small smile.

"So why don't you guys explain to me who those guys were you were torturing? One you seemed to hate quite a bit," Oz said.

Willow's eyes grew dark as she thought of Klaus. "Will, take a deep breath," Buffy ordered. "You have to be in control."

Willow nodded. They began explaining what they knew.

Bonnie watched from across the room. "Elena, it was so horrible! When Klaus killed Oz, Willow lost her mind. She drained me of all my powers until I was unconscious. When I woke up, she was ripping off Klaus's skin," Bonnie shared, shuddering at the gruesome memory.

Elena found that the news didn't horrify her. Instead, it brought her some satisfaction. "I didn't realize I was so blood thirsty but thinking of Klaus suffering like that makes me happy. He killed Jenna. John is dead because of him. He tried to sacrifice me and used me as a blood bank. He thinks he can do whatever he wants. Maybe now he'll realize there are limits. There is someone more powerful than him. Even if she is human," Elena said smugly.

"Maybe. But how can I trust Willow? You didn't see her. It was like she was a different person," Bonnie said, upset.

"Like Stefan when he turned off his emotions?" Elena asked.

"Like that but worse. How can I let her be my teacher?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, I guess you'll learn what not to do," Elena said.

"I guess. I'm going to go see Jeremy. I need to think about something else for a while. Is he at home?" Bonnie asked.

"No, he's at the Grille filling in for Dawn," Elena said. Elena felt very alone after Bonnie left. She slipped unnoticed out of the house, wishing Damon was here. When she got into her car, she pulled out her cell and called him.

Back in Los Angeles, Damon was playing poker with Angel, Spike, and Illyria. Or rather they were trying to. Illyria was always difficult at her best. When she lost a hand, she threw a hissy fit and knocked Spike across the room because he could never refrain from gloating. Damon always moved right before her fist connected with him. He was developing a sixth since where the blue woman was concerned. His phone rang.

"No phone calls!" Spike complained.

"It's Elena," Damon said. He got up and took the call. "Hello."

"Hey," Elena said. "How are you?"

"Good. How's things going?" he asked.

"Not sure how to answer that," Elena said.

"What happened?" Damon asked in concern. He listened in silence as Elena filled him in. When she was done, he started laughing. "You're serious? Klaus got his ass handed to him by that tiny redhead?"

"Well, from what I gather, she is very scary when she loses control. She drained both Bonnie and Rebekah of all their power. No one could touch her. She knocked down both Buffy and Xander, her closest friends."

"Man, do I wish I had been there! Stefan gets to have all the fun!" Damon complained.

"You're not having any fun?" Elena asked curiously.

"Well, it is fun to see Spike get bitch slapped by Illyria all the time," Damon said with a snicker.

Spike flipped him off. "Hurry up! I need to win some more of your money!" he yelled.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Teaching Illyria how to play poker. Every time she loses a hand she backhands Spike across the room. I seriously wish I had a video camera," Damon said.

"You do on your cell phone," Elena reminded him.

"Oh yeah! I'll send you a video. You'll see what I mean," Damon said.

Elena was surprised that Damon seemed so lighthearted. She didn't think she'd ever seen him that way. "I miss you," she admitted.

Damon closed his eyes a moment. He missed her every hour, but he hadn't allowed himself to focus on her. "I miss you, too," he said.

"I miss you more! Get your ass back in the chair, you bloody yanker!" Spike yelled.

Elena chuckled. "Sounds like you found a new buddy to keep you out of trouble. Rick will be glad," Elena said.

"He's no Rick, but he's entertaining," Damon agreed, watching Spike argue with Angel over who was actually winning. "Buffy's exes are very surprising. Angel is dark and broody like Stefan. He and Spike are complete opposites."

"Well, I'll let you get back to your game. I just wanted to hear your voice," Elena said. She said goodbye and drove to the Grille. She was feeling lonely and knew Matt would always want to see her.

She was biting into a chicken sandwich when her phone beeped. Damon had sent her a video. He had spanned around the table, so she got a good look at his new friends. She could tell right away which one was Angel and which one was Spike. Angel looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders while Spike looked like a mischievous devil. He threw popcorn at Damon and posed for the camera. Illyria was freaking looking in a beautiful way. When Spike made fun of her for losing again, she knocked him so hard that his chair went flying backward. He got up and did some happy dance. "You're getting soft! I barely felt that!" he chanted. The woman got up from her chair. Damon filmed Spike running out of the room with Illyria hot on his heels. The camera panned back to Angel who sighed and shook his head, a long suffering look on his face. Then Damon turned the camera to himself. "Can you believe these clowns fight evil?" He grinned into the camera and waved. Then the video ended.

Matt saw her laughing and walked over. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Damon sent me this video of his new friends. The two guys are Buffy's exes. The woman is an ancient hell god of some kind, and they are teaching her poker," Elena explained. She felt her loneliness leave as Matt watched the video. Soon Jeremy and Bonnie were there, and they played it again. It was good to have something to laugh about.

Across town, there was no laughter. Klaus and Kol were both still reeling from their experience at the hand of the slayer's witch. Klaus had gone to his room and put on some clothes before sitting down next to Caroline on the sofa.

"No one should be that powerful!" Kol exclaimed. "We must kill her!" He was pacing back and forth as everyone else was seated.

"Will you ever learn, brother? Invoking her ire could get you dead and not the dead that you come back from!" Rebekah informed him crossly.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked Klaus. His skin had healed she knew, but she wasn't so sure about his bones.

"I'm fine," Klaus said. Elijah handed him a blood bag. He drank it down.

"I need more than this," Klaus said. "Bring me a human."

"I will," Kol said. He turned to leave.

"Don't kill anyone, Kol," Rebekah advised.

"You shouldn't have toyed with the witch that way, Niklaus," Elijah said. "You invoked her wrath on purpose by killing someone she loved."

"I thought she'd be incapacitated by grief. I didn't think she'd go out of her mind like that!" Klaus exclaimed. His entire plan had backfired so completely. "Did you arrive in time to see how she killed my hybrids? She didn't even have to touch them! Never have I seen such power! How can she be mortal?"

"You were warned, brother," Rebekah reminded him.

"Dawn tried to tell you. When her lover Tara was killed, she went out of her mind. She killed the murderer and then almost killed Buffy and Giles when they tried to stop her," Caroline said. "Then she was going to raise some temple that would destroy the world. Luckily, Xander got through to her in time."

"She's not someone to trifle with," Elijah said.

"That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen," Caroline said with a shudder.

Klaus put his arm around her. "It wasn't fun, but I've been tortured before, love," he said.

"Someone gauged out your eyes before?" Caroline asked in horror.

"Well, no, but I was tormented day and night for fifty years once. I lost a limb or two. I'm fine, I assure you," he told her.

"Why did your hybrid not listen to you?" Rebekah asked. "I thought werewolves always followed the alpha even without the sire bound."

"The man must have a very formidable will and intelligent mind to fight the compulsion to obey me, especially since he was just turned," Klaus said thoughtfully.

"Willow is highly intelligent. It would stand to reason that her first love would be her equal," Rebekah said.

"You should take Kol and leave town for a while," Caroline urged. "Let things settle down."

"I'm not going anywhere without my hybrid," Klaus said firmly.

Rebekah groaned. "You are hopeless, brother!" she exclaimed.

"I hope you won't try to force him from her side," Elijah said in disapproval.

"On the contrary. He will come to me. If he's truly intelligent, curiosity will compel him to seek me out," Klaus said. He will get to know his hybrid and discover what weakness the witch had. Everyone had one.

******* _Later that night****_ ***

After the house had settled down for the night, Stefan paced his room feeling restless. Every time he saw Faith she was with one of the girls. He wanted to spend some time alone with her, but it didn't seem she felt the same way. His emotions were back on and seeing her hurt made him angry and upset. His feelings for the sexy slayer were much different than what he felt with Elena. With Elena, he had felt love, warmth, and protectiveness. With Faith, he felt alive. All his senses were rearing. He wanted her more than he wanted blood. He never thought that'd happen. He heard footsteps outside his door. He waited for a knock. It didn't come.

He walked to his door and opened it. Faith looked back at him. "You're still up?"

"Looks like," Stefan replied. He smiled at her and stepped back. "Would you like to come in?"

She stepped inside. "It was quite a day, huh?" she said.

"Yes, it was. How are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, I'm five by five," Faith said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry about your friends," Stefan said.

Faith looked at him and realized that he meant it. "You have your emotions back!" she exclaimed, obviously pleased with the development.

"It appears so. The excitement was too much for me, I guess," Stefan said with a rueful smile. He didn't know how to explain that watching her get hurt invoked so many emotions in him. It had been impossible to stay emotionless.

"I'm glad," Faith said, suddenly feeling shy.

"Would you like a nightcap?" Stefan offered.

"Sure," Faith said.

Stefan poured them each a drink. He took a sip, his eyes watching hers. Then he set the glass down.

Faith did the same. They stood there staring at one another. Neither speaking. Then it seemed they both came to an understanding. Faith stepped toward him, and he grabbed her and pulled her close. He began kissing her like he'd been dying to do since he'd first tasted her. This time she had no objections. When he picked her up, her legs went around his waist. They stumbled onto his bed. He raised up to take off his clothes. She kicked off hers just as quickly.

"No biting!" she warned.

"You may like it," he said with a grin.

"I'll kick your ass!" she said with a glare.

"Okay, but you can bite me all you want!" Stefan said with a grin. Then he covered her body with his and began making love to her.

***** _*Buffy and Willow's*_ *******

Willow and Oz talked in her room all night until they both fell asleep. Oz watched her drift off holding his hand. He smiled at the oddly familiar sight and then drifted off, exhausted by the day's events.

Downstairs, Buffy gave Xander final instructions.

"Are you sure it's safe to leave?" Xander asked.

"Yes, Klaus would be a fool to test us again. He doesn't strike me as one," Buffy said.

"So I'll take the girls back to England with Giles," Xander said.

"I'll talk to all of them before you go," Buffy said.

"Are you sure Willow will be okay?" Xander asked in concern.

"Yes. Oz is with her," Buffy said.

"He's a hybrid now," Alaric reminded her. "We don't know exactly what that entails."

"I guess will find out," Buffy said. "Xander, why don't you just sleep on the couch? It's too late to go back to the mansion."

"Works for me. I want to talk to Oz and Willow in the morning anyway," Xander said.

Alaric got up. "I guess I'll say goodnight," he said.

Buffy stood and grabbed his hand. "You don't have to leave," she said coyly.

"I don't?" Alaric replied, smiling at her.

"You could stay," Buffy said, giving him a saucy grin.

"Guys, I'm still here," Xander said, covering his ears with his hands.

Buffy pulled Alaric to her bedroom door. "Would you like to stay?" she asked.

"Are you sure?" Alaric asked.

"Yes. That is if you want to," Buffy said, a questioning note in her voice.

Alaric bent down and kissed her. "I think that would be just fine," he said, smiling at her.

Buffy laughed and pulled him into her bedroom.

******* _The Next Day*******_

Buffy woke up in Rick's arms. He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "I could get used to this," Alaric said happily. For once, the sorrow was gone from his eyes.

"Me, too," she said with a happy sigh. "It's been a long time since I've felt this way about a guy. I can't always stay in town, but I really hope we can go the distance."

"Well, when school's out, I'd love to go with you," he said. "I believe in what you do."

"I'm going to send Faith to Ohio for a while. There's a hellmouth there that's getting out of hand. The two slayers that are currently there have asked for help," Buffy said. "I spent enough years on a hellmouth. It's Faith's turn."

Alaric chuckled. "I've got to get up and go home for clothes. School starts in an hour," he said.

Buffy frowned. "I don't know if Willow will be up for a day of school," she remarked.

They got up and went into the kitchen. A party was going on. Willow was making pancakes. Dawn was chatting her ear off per usual. Xander and Oz were sitting at the table talking.

"Wow, does she bounce back quickly!" Alaric remarked.

"Good morning!" Buffy called out. Her friends turned and yelled out greetings. She went up to Willow. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. Oz said he would come to school today with me. I figured I'd tell everyone he was my brother," Willow said, winking at him.

"You both have red hair, so I'm sure people will believe it," Dawn remarked.

"Dawnie's been telling us all about the perfection that is Matt Donovan," Xander said. "It looks like I've been replaced."

"Don't worry, Xander. You'll always be my favorite guy," Dawn said, grinning.

"It was bound to happen, dude," Oz said. "At least you weren't replaced with a woman like I was."

Willow flushed in embarrassment. Oz chuckled. "It's okay, Will. I chose to view it as I ruined you for other men."

Willow walked over and kissed his cheek. "You really did," she told him. "I will never love another man the way I loved you."

"That's something at least," Xander said, grinning at Oz.

Giles came into the room. "Where did you come from?" Buffy asked.

"The front door," he said dryly. "The girls are packed up. Arrangements have been made for the fallen."

"I can't believe Vi is dead," Dawn said sadly. "She was finally learning English."

"We will have a memorial for all the girls next weekend back home if you all want to come," Giles said.

"We may swing that. We could leave Thursday after school," Willow said. "It'll have to be a short trip. We'll be tired, but I can plan a busy day Monday, so I don't have to say much."

Buffy turned to Alaric. "Would you like to come?" she asked.

"I think some time out of town may be good for all of us. Elena and Jeremy will have to come, too" Alaric said.

"I'll send the jet back for you," Giles said.

Dawn's eyes lit up. "Do you think I can convince Matt to come?" she asked excitedly.

"You can do your best," Buffy said smiling. It was good to see her into a normal guy. One Buffy didn't have to worry about.

The doorbell rang, so Xander got up to answer it. He blinked in surprise when he saw who was on the other side of the door.

"May we speak to Buffy and Willow?" Elijah asked.

Rebekah gave him a nervous smile. She wasn't sure she was ready to see Willow, but she didn't want the first time she saw Willow again to be at school.

"Come in. Everyone's in the kitchen," Xander said.

Conversation came to a halt when Elijah and Rebekah came into the room. Willow was putting pancakes onto a plate. When she saw Rebekah, she put down her food and went around to her.

She gave Rebekah a guilty look. "I don't even know how to begin to apologize for what I did to you yesterday. I am so sorry," Willow told her.

"I can't say it was pleasant, but it's not the worst thing that's been done to me," Rebekah said with a grimace.

"You don't hate me?" Willow asked anxiously.

"Of course not," Rebekah said. Willow stepped forward and hugged her.

"We have lost control a time or two over the centuries," Elijah said pragmatically.

"I more than Elijah," Rebekah said with a rueful smile.

"Oz, this is my friend Rebekah and her brother Elijah," Willow said.

"We are Klaus's family," Elijah said, holding out his hand to the new hybrid. "Welcome to our family."

Oz looked at the two in bemusement but shook hands. "So what does being a hybrid mean exactly?" he asked them curiously.

"Well, you aren't bound by the moon anymore," Elijah said.

"What does that mean?" Dawn butted in.

"It means that he never has to turn into a werewolf unless he wants to," Rebekah explained.

"That's something at least," Xander said.

"I had already learned to control my wolf nature. I hadn't turned since that time I tried to attack Tara a few years ago," Oz said.

Elijah and Rebekah exchanged a look. "You must be an extraordinary young man," Elijah said thoughtfully.

"He is. There is no one like Oz," Willow said proudly.

Rebekah found herself feeling a surge of jealousy. The hybrid looked at her curiously. It was as if he knew she was feeling insecure and jealous.

"I was wondering if I could be of some use to you," Elijah said to Buffy. Then he looked at Giles.

"In what way?" Giles asked.

"I have lived for over a thousand years. Until I met your slayer, I thought my siblings and I were doomed to a purposeless existence. Yet Buffy speaks of heaven. In all my years, I have never found much hope for such a reward. I would like to do what I can to help fight evil. I grow weary of having no purpose outside of my family," Elijah shared. "I would like to earn some redemption."

"Cool!" Xander said excitedly. "We can put him in charge of the new recruits!"

"I'm moving Faith to Ohio. Maybe he can join her there eventually," Buffy said.

"Actually, I'd love to have you accompany me back to England. We lost so much of our books when the council was destroyed," Giles said. "I hear you are an historian."

"Well, when one lives it, it's hard not to be," Elijah said.

"It would be great to have someone of your vast experience help rebuilding," Giles said excitedly.

"Works for me. We could use someone of your caliber on the team," Buffy said. "Maybe I can actually stay in Mystic Falls for a while." She really liked the idea of Elijah backing up Giles and the girls. It would relieve some of her anxiety. Buffy didn't want to keep bury slayers like she was going to in a few days.

"I hope so," Alaric said, smiling at her. "I've got to get out of here. I'll talk to you guys later. Giles, Xander, it was great meeting you guys. I know I'll be seeing you again." He dropped a quick kiss on Buffy's lips and left.

When he left, Xander said to Buffy, "I hope you don't break his heart. I really love that guy!"

Buffy frowned. "I do not plan on hurting him. He's amazing," she said.

"Oz is going to spend the day with me at school," Willow told Rebekah.

"Are you sure, Oz, that going to school will be a good idea?" Rebekah asked. "That's a lot of humans to tempt him with."

Oz looked thoughtful. "Hmmm. I guess I never considered it. I don't feel like I want to attack anyone right now," Oz said.

"Have you had blood this morning?" Elijah asked.

"No. I thought I was just really hungry for pancakes," Oz said.

"Eating human food helps with control. As does caffeine and alcohol. However, you will want to feed before going to school around so many humans," Elijah advised.

Oz grimaced. He didn't like thinking he had to feed on people.

"Stefan only feeds on animals before he flipped his switch, so you can do that," Dawn said.

"Kill Bambi?" Oz asked in disgust. "I could never hurt a living thing. I spent months with Buddhist monks. All life is precious."

"Wait until our brother hears this," Rebekah said to Elijah. She laughed, picturing the look on her brother's face.

"Caroline only drinks from blood bags. She didn't like the animal diet. It grossed her out, and you'll be stronger on human blood," Dawn told him.

Oz shook his head. "I'm not sure I like this," he said with a frown.

"Well, you'll never grow old and die," Xander pointed out.

"That's something, I guess," Oz said.

"Also, these vamps can control people with their minds," Xander added with a grin.

"Jedi mind tricks? Nice!" Oz said with a smile.

"We need to get going," Willow said. "We'll stop by Stefan's for some more blood."

Everyone vacated the kitchen but Giles and Elijah. "The new hybrid is very unusual," Elijah observed.

"Yes, he has always been a self-contained young man. When he left Willow, she was heartbroken," Giles said.

"I think my brother will be very surprised," Elijah said.

"If he hopes for a mindless lackey, he'll be sorely disappointed," Giles said.

Elijah smiled at the thought. "He may be just what my brother needs," Elijah said.

****** _Later that Day******_

Oz stayed with Willow until lunch. Then he told her he wanted to explore the town. Willow had wanted to make him a daylight ring the night before. Buffy had pointed out that hybrids were wolves and didn't need the rings. Willow, however, wasn't going to take any chances with Oz's safety and made him a ring anyway. Well, in his case, it was a necklace he already had on. She felt better knowing that the sun would never be able to hurt him. Of course, once they talked to Caroline, she discovered that hybrids did need a daylight ring, so it was a good thing she made it.

Oz felt a strong compulsion to meet the man who had so callously changed his life. He couldn't explain how he knew where to find the man. He just followed his extinct, and it led him to a very big and old house. He rang the bell.

Elijah opened the door and welcomed him inside.

"So has my hybrid finally come a calling?" Klaus said as he entered the room. "My big brother has decided to abandon me to go fight demons with a bunch of superpowered young girls. Kol, my younger brother, is anxious to leave this town and go explore the world. Since I am responsible for his lack of worldly knowledge, I feel an obligation to accompany him. At least for a time. You will join us."

"Will I?" Oz asked archly.

Klaus frowned and moved closer and looked down at the slight young man. He was unafraid and entirely too still. "Do you understand who I am?" Klaus asked.

"You are the oldest living vampire of your kind. You are basically indestructible. Both a vampire and a hybrid. You have made me like you," Oz answered simply.

"I have freed you from your curse. You owe me your allegiance," Klaus said arrogantly.

"Actually, Niklaus, Oz told me this morning that he had already overcome his curse," Elijah shared with a small smile.

"That's impossible!" Klaus said in disbelief. He examined the man whose face gave away nothing.

"I met with some monks. They taught me to control every part of my mind and body. It's why you can't control me," Oz said simply.

"So I have a hybrid who can't be compelled and isn't indebted to me in anyway?" Klaus said sourly.

"You've turned me into a vampire, but I don't kill. You tried to use me to hurt Willow—that's not cool," Oz said with a frown.

Finally, the man showed some emotion. "I don't understand this man, Elijah. He's now a vampire. His emotions should be heightened, yet he's in complete control," Klaus said in confusion.

"Maybe you could learn something from your new hybrid," Elijah said with a small smile. "I must go meet Mr. Giles. I will be in touch, brother. Please, try to stay away from Miss Summers and Miss Rosenburg."

"Are you going to say goodbye to our sister? You know how she gets," Klaus said.

"I have already said goodbye to her. She will be fine," Elijah said. He turned to Oz. "Please give my brother a chance. He has some good in him, I am convinced. Maybe you can remind him of that."

Elijah left the two hybrids alone. "So I take it you guys have a lot of money," Oz said looking around.

"You could say that," Klaus said in bemusement.

"Cool. I don't really care much for riches, but it makes things easier," Oz said. He stopped and looked at a painting that caught his eye. "I really like this painting."

"You do?" Klaus asked in surprise. "What do you like about it?"

"Its loneliness calls out to me. The man in the picture seems to be seeking something that's just out of reach," Oz said, looking closely at it. "I wonder if he'll ever find it."

"I haven't yet," Klaus remarked.

Oz looked at him in surprise. "That's yours? You paint?" he asked.

"It was a habit of mine before I became a vampire. It's a habit I never broke. A constant in my life throughout the centuries," Klaus admitted.

Oz decided that a man who could paint with so much emotion had to have a soul. "I guess I can go with you as long as you let me bring my guitar," Oz said, coming to a decision.

Klaus smiled. "You're a musician?" he asked in surprise.

"It's the one constant in my life," Oz said. A sense of camaraderie sprung up between the two men as Oz gave Klaus a rare smile.

****** _Back at School*******_

Dawn and Elena joined Matt and Bonnie at a lunch table. Caroline sat down with them, and then Rebekah joined them. Caroline was unusually quiet.

"My brothers are all leaving town for a bit," Rebekah shared.

"They are?" Caroline asked. Even though she had suggested that very thing to them, a feeling of disappointment filled her.

"Elijah plans on joining Giles in England. Kol and Klaus are going to travel around for a while," Rebekah said.

"I still can't believe what Willow did yesterday. It was horrible!" Caroline said with a grimace.

"Niklaus was told not to mess with her and the slayers," Rebekah said with a shrug.

"How can you be so cavalier about it?" Caroline asked. "She ripped out his eye balls and tore off all his skin twice!"

"That's twisted! I'm glad she's not my teacher!" Matt exclaimed with a shudder.

"He shouldn't have done that to Oz," Dawn said loyally.

"So it's okay to torture if a person deserves it? How does that not make her a monster worse than Klaus?" Caroline demanded.

Dawn didn't want to fight with her new friend about this, but she felt like she had to defend Willow. "She's really sorry. She cried for hours over what she did. That's not who she is," Dawn said.

"We've all had experience with losing control," Elena reminded her. "Damon has. Stefan was ripping off heads all summer. And you, Caroline, killed when you first became a vampire. You even attacked Matt and erased his memory."

"My brother is fine. It takes a show of force to get him to hold back. He would never stop trying to drain Elena to make his hybrids if Willow hadn't showed herself so strong. He respects power," Rebekah said.

Caroline frowned but didn't say anything. It was going to be a long time before she'd be comfortable around the witch.

***** _Later at the School*****_

After her last class, Rebekah started to get up from the computer and leave when Willow called out to her. "Rebekah, could you stay, please?"

Rebekah nodded and waited until the class emptied. She got up and faced Willow. Willow chanted and threw up a mirage. "If anyone looks in, they will see you at a computer and me at my desk," she explained.

"Why so theatrical?" Rebekah asked.

Willow stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "I wanted to explain about Oz. I don't want you to think he and I are a couple since I went so postal over him," Willow said.

"You love him," Rebekah said.

"Yes, I do. I always will. But I'm not the same girl that fell in love with him. I've changed. I like who I am now, and Oz knows that. I will never love another man the way I loved him, but I don't want to be with him again that way," Willow explained.

Rebekah nodded. "Okay. I understand, I guess," she said with a shrug.

"So did my bad day yesterday scare you off?" Willow asked her nervously.

"I don't scare easily as I can be pretty vicious myself. I've slaughtered and tortured before," Rebekah admitted.

Willow stepped closer. "So would you freak out if I kissed you like I've been wanting to?" she asked.

"I don't know. I guess you'll have to give it a try," Rebekah said, smiling.

Willow smiled and embraced the beautiful vampire.

****** _The Next Day******_

Oz didn't go with Willow to school the next day, but he spent it alone. He meditated and spent time coming to terms with the new change in him. He felt powerful, and energy coursed through him. Before when he would turn into a wolf, he'd lose himself. The wolf would just take over. He didn't really get to experience the power of being a werewolf. Now, however, he knew everything was different. He figured that he'd probably be in control even as a werewolf, but he wasn't about to test that particular theory just yet.

Willow came straight home from school to check on Oz. She loved having him with her again. It was strange how they both had changed so much, but the connection between them was still there. When she looked at him, her world felt complete. It was like coming home to a place that was both comforting and familiar. However, the sexual heat she'd always felt with him was gone. She didn't necessarily think she was born to be a lesbian, but she knew that for her it was who she was now. Enough time had passed since she and Oz had been together that way that it didn't feel awkward between them.

She found Oz in her bedroom on the floor sitting Indian style. "Whatcha doing?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

Oz opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I was meditating. It's been a lot to take in. I don't want to quit being who I am," he said.

"I doubt that could ever happen," she said. She laid her head down on his shoulder. "I'm so glad to have you here."

"Well, maybe I should tell you now that I'm leaving," Oz told her.

She sat up and looked at him. "Leaving? Why? You just got here!" Willow protested.

"Yeah, I know. I'll be back. I'm going to spend some time with Klaus and his brother. We're going to travel," Oz shared.

"What? You're traveling with that original psycho?" Willow asked in disbelief.

"He's interesting," Oz remarked. "Plus, there's things I need to know. What am I exactly? He's the only other one like me. I feel a connection."

Willow didn't know what to think about that, but she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Oz could read her expression and reached out to take her hand. "Don't, Will. It's not about you. It's been great seeing you. I wish I'd come to you sooner, so don't be upset with me. This is something I need to do," Oz said.

"Really?" she asked doubtfully. When he nodded, she sighed in resignation. "Promise me you won't let him turn you into a killer like him. Promise me!"

Oz smiled. "That's an easy promise to make. I have no intention of being turned to the dark side," he teased.

Willow finally smiled. "You'll call me and let me know you're okay?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he agreed.

"When will you leave?" she asked.

"In a few hours," he said.

She grimaced but didn't protest. "Well, then we should go out with Buffy and Dawn for a last dinner before you leave. I don't really want to share you with them, but it'll be easier to say goodbye if other people are there," she said.

"You're still the person I love most in the world," Oz told her. For once, his unreadable expression was very readable. His love was as visible as it always was.

Willow's eyes filled with tears, and she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I will always love you," she said softly.

******* _Caroline's*******_

Caroline was lying on her bed listening to her music very loudly. She was feeling out of sorts. It confused her that she was so bothered by the thought of Klaus and Kol leaving town. She knew it was for the best, but it still upset her.

"Look at her, brother. She is lost in her own world," Kol said from her bedroom door.

Caroline rose up quickly and looked at the two brothers. "How did you get in?" she asked.

"Your mother was kind enough to extend an invitation. I had to promise to never hurt you. As if I would," Kol said with a grin. He started wandering around her room, poking through her stuff.

"We were leaving town for a bit and wanted to come say goodbye to you before we left," Klaus explained.

"Nik's one and only hybrid is going to take us on a tour of the best music scenes in the country," Kol said with a happy grin.

"Oz? Oz is going with you?" Caroline asked in surprise. "Does Willow know that?"

"It seems my hybrid does what he wants. Neither I nor his witch control him," Klaus said with a sardonic smile.

"Really? He really can't be compelled?" Caroline asked in surprise.

Kol snickered. "Leave it to Nik to pick the one werewolf in the world that didn't need a single thing from him!" Kol exclaimed.

"He is an unusual fellow," Klaus agreed.

"I think that's good a thing. At least you know he's with you because he wants to be and not because he has no choice," Caroline pointed out.

"True," Klaus said, not ready to admit how very much that fact meant to him.

"How long will you be gone?" Caroline asked.

Klaus shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said.

"Maybe you can come back for our Halloween dance," Caroline said casually.

"A costume ball?" Kol asked eagerly. "I am so there!"

"Well, I wouldn't use the word ball, but you can dress up," Caroline said, smiling.

"We'll see," Klaus said noncommittally. Caroline's disappointed expression didn't escape him. He flashed his dimple at her, giving her a smug smile. "It's time for us to go."

Kol walked over and gave Caroline a loud smack on her lips. When she shoved him away, he laughed and hugged her. "Don't waste your time on any more mortals. We'll be in touch," Kol said. He gave her a wink.

"You better!" Caroline said.

Klaus stepped forward and kissed her cheek. "Take care, love. Your friendship has been a great gift. One that we treasure," he said.

Caroline blinked back tears. She didn't like goodbyes. "Please, behave!" she ordered.

She walked them to her front door. Oz was waiting on the porch. He waved at her in acknowledgment. "Keep them out of trouble," she told Oz.

"I'll do my best," Oz said.

"So, Oz, did you know you can run like the wind?" Kol told him.

"Really?" Oz asked curiously.

"I'll race you to the airport," Kol said.

"I don't know where it is," Oz pointed out.

"Follow me if you can," Kol called out and then raced off in a blur.

Oz watched him a moment. "Cool!" he exclaimed. Then he followed him, laughing in delight at his new speed.

Caroline laughed. "I think you're going to have your hands full," she told Klaus.

Klaus turned and faced her. "Anytime you want to join us, love, just say the word," he said.

Caroline shook her head but stepped forward and hugged him. "I'll miss you," she said softly.

Klaus had been alive centuries, but he had never encountered such warmth before. It made him ache and long for things he knew he could never have. He put his hand on her cheek a moment, their eyes locked. "I don't think anyone ever has before," he told her. "Goodbye, love." Then he was gone.

****** _Back at Buffy and Willow's********_

Oz was gone, and Willow was sitting on the living room couch hugging a pillow. Dinner had been fun and festive. They had discovered that Rick and Oz had a similar sardonic sense of humor. There had been a lot of laughter. Now, though, Willow just felt sad and lonely.

Buffy and Dawn came into the room. "I got ice cream!" Buffy said with a grin. "Three different pints." She sat them down on the coffee table with the spoons.

"And I got two sad movies for us to cry to: _Beaches_ and _Steel Magnolias_!" Dawn announced holding them up.

"There's a video store in this town?" Willow asked.

"There's Caroline. She has every sappy chick flick ever made!" Dawn announced. "Which do you want to watch first?"

"You pick," Willow said. "I saw Caroline at school today, and she wouldn't even look at me."

Buffy sat down next to her. "Give it some time. You were pretty scary," Buffy said.

"Well, she was already upset with you guys for not stopping Damon from killing Tyler. And she considers Klaus and Kol her friends. She didn't think they deserved that," Dawn said.

"They didn't," Willow said morosely. "I don't know what's wrong with me. How can some part of me enjoy torturing another living thing? That's not what Wicca is about. Maybe that's why my magic is different than Bonnie's. The spirits wouldn't empower me because I'm tainted."

"Hey, don't talk about my friend like that!" Buffy insisted.

"You know Rebekah wasn't overly upset, and they're her brothers. She said Klaus respects power, and if you hadn't made it really clear how powerful you were, he never would've backed down," Dawn shared.

"See. Torture not so bad after all," Buffy said glibly. "Let's not forget that he did kill some of our slayers. He's not victim." She handed out the spoons. They each picked the pint they wanted while Dawn put the movie in.

"I can't believe both Xander and Oz are gone. They were barely here," Willow said with a frown.

"We'll see Xander in two days when we fly to England, and Oz will be back," Buffy reminded her.

"I think it's funny that Klaus can't voodoo Oz with that mind stuff like he does everyone else," Dawn said with snicker.

"Yep, he's finally met his match," Buffy said happily.

That brought a smile to Willow's face. There was no one like her Oz. Klaus really didn't know what he was in for.

****** _The End*******_

_Thanks so much for reading! I've really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it! If you have yet to review, here's your chance!_


End file.
